


Try Something Sweet

by Lucy_the_hobbit



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Chef Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), College Student Eren Yeager, Eren has naughty thoughts, F/F, F/M, Female Hange Zoë, I spell it Jaeger, I will add more tags., Light Angst, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Masturbation in Shower, Mikasa is always prepared, Modern Era, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, jeanmarco, there will be smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-02-27 07:36:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13243551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucy_the_hobbit/pseuds/Lucy_the_hobbit
Summary: Eren Jaeger loves to cook. Problem is, he is not very good at it. Stuck in a college course and part-time job, he has no love for, just to pay the bills and put food on the table.Levi Ackerman is the head chef at Maria, one of the award-winning restaurants, in Shiganshina. One fateful day changes Levi's life and sets in course a chain of events, which is sure to change his life and Eren's life.





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone.   
> This is a story that I started in an old notebook. There will be spoilers for the manga, in terms of certain characters. I will post a warning before the chapters that contain them. I may change the rating on this story as it progress. Also, I know Hange is portrayed as Gender Neutral, but I have always seen her as female. Also, I will be adding more tags as the story goes on. 
> 
> I don't own any of the characters. They all belong to Hajime Isayama. I own a Levi Pop figure, does that count? 
> 
> Kudos and feedback are always appreciated. This story is not Beta'd.
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter one.  
Levi.  
This day could not get any worse for Levi Ackerman. Even if it fucking tried, it could not get any worse. First off, the power in his apartment block went out during the night. This meant his phone and alarm clock both died during the night, leaving him to oversleep. Secondly, due to the power outage, there was no hot water for a shower, so he had to content with a freezing shower in September. He tripped over his pet cat named Scout, which earned him a nasty scratch across his foot. 

Running a fulling twenty minutes late, he briskly walked down the street as fast as his legs could move and as fast as the crowd permitted. Silently, he cursed as a large and obnoxious businessman, chatting loudly on a smart phone, barged passed him. He winced as his foot slipped off the edge of the curb and into a rather deep puddle. 

“Damn” he swore. He had decided to wear his dark royal blue converse today. Levi groaned as his whole foot was enveloped in a damp cold. It was uncomfortable. 

“Please. Don’t be a line” he prayed to himself and a higher deity, as he rounded the corner. He rejoiced as he entered a small café and saw there was only two women ahead of him. The women ahead of him were giggling to each other. 

“Must be pumpkin spice season?” thought Levi, as he fished his wallet from his messenger bag. 

“Next” called out a voice. Levi approached the counter and ordered a large black coffee. 

“Here or to go?” asked the black haired woman, at the cash register. 

“To go” he responded, flatly. 

“Name?” she said, uncapping a black marker. 

“Levi” he replied. The girl scrawled his name on the side of a white to go cup. 

“Tall Black” she told the barista, that was hidden by a large coffee machine. Levi paid for the coffee. He let his eyes wander around the café. It was warm and homely, with mismatched chairs at mismatched tables. It added to the charm. The walls were covered in artwork of giant humanoid sexless beings, roaming around large open landscapes. This was the first-time Levi had ever been in this café. He had walked by it numerous times but never paid much attention to it.

“Lenny” called out a new voice. Levi paid no heed. He resumed admiring the artwork. 

“Tall black for Lenny” called the voice. Levi looked to the counter. A skinny young man, with the brightest turquoise coloured eyes Levi had ever seen, held up a coffee, in a to-go cup. 

“Here ya go, Lenny” he smiled. Levi looked around. He was the only person in the café without a drink. Then, it dawned on him. The young man behind the counter was talking to him. Yes, this day had gotten worse. He quietly stormed up the counter, shoe squelching against the wooden floor. He retrieved his coffee with a curt thank you. He left and made his way down the street to the bus stop. He sipped at the coffee. The hot liquid scalded his tongue. Normally, Levi would go for a tea. Not today. He need the extra caffeine. He cursed Erwin for putting him on lunch service today. He worked until close last night and now had to be in for prep and service. Things started to look up for Levi as a bus pulled up to the stop, shortly after he arrived. The bus was at least half empty so he found a seat with ease. 

Levi clicked his tongue in disgust and felt bile rising in his throat. The bus was filthy. It smelled mouldy. There was cans and food wrappers, littered on the floor. He had to resist the urge to scream at the bus driver to stop the bus so he could scrape the gum off the floor and clean the god damn thing from front to back. After ten minutes of absolute torture for Levi, the bus came to a halt. He could not eject himself from the cesspool of bacteria quick enough. He walked down the street and finally, half an hour late, arrived at his place of work, Maria. 

Xox

“Hello, Levi” smiled a small auburn-haired woman, as he entered the restaurant. 

“Petra” he replied. Petra, the hostess, always had a smile plastered on her face. 

“You’re here earlier than usual” she observed. 

“Yeah, Erwin has me on lunch service today” he replied. 

“Oh yes, he mentioned on of the usual chefs called in sick earlier today” replied the hostess. 

“What’s lunch like these days?” asked Levi. He wanted to know what he had to be prepared for. 

“It’s a rush. We’ll be going like the clappers from one o clock until three o clock” explained Petra, as she glanced over her thick reservation book. “We have eleven bookings as well. The smallest of those is a table of five at two-thirty” she added. Levi nodded. 

“Thank you, Petra,” he said. He made his way today the staff changing room. 

“LEVI” screamed a voice, as soon as he entered the locker room. Levi groaned and pinched his nose. 

“Hanji” he grumbled, as an excited woman bounded up to him. She hopped from one foot to the other, in sheer excitement. Her brown ponytail bounced as she did. 

I could not believe it when Erwin told me you would be doing lunch service today” she cried out. 

“Hanji, I need to change,” said Levi, as he opened his locker. 

“Oh, yes yes. Have you seen the menu yet? You will love it” she babbled. 

“Hanji, unless you want to see my naked arse, will you go away” he half yelled. 

“Oh no…” yelped Hanji, as she bolted from the changing room. Sighing, Levi pulled his chef’s blacks from his bag. Most chefs wore white. Levi preferred black. He stripped off his converse, black pea coat, and t-shirt. He put on the top half of his uniform. He took off his grey skinny jeans and replaced them with his uniform trousers and work boots. He folded his clothes neatly and stacked them into his locker, on top of his shoes. Finally, he secured his black hair under a red bandana with white splash designs on it. He took his knife bag from the locker and locked it up. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the clock on the wall above the door. It had just gone ten thirty. Three hours of preparation time until lunch service. 

Xox

“Thank you for coming in, Levi. I know dinner service is your usual forte but I could not get anyone else to cover the shift” explained Erwin, the manager of Maria. Levi shrugged.

“Don’t make a habit of it!” he replied. The older man laughed. 

“Remind me never to make you wait tables. You’ll scare away half of the customers” he chuckled. 

“What’s the menu for today?” asked Levi, getting straight to the point. The longer they spent chatting, would shave valuable minutes on prep time. Erwin pulled a white sheet from a thick binder. He handed the sheet over to Levi. He read the sheet and made mental notes about each of the dishes, from how long it would take to portion up all the tuna fillets to breaking down bones and vegetables for stocks and sauce. Levi returned the sheet to Erwin. 

“Well?” asked the manager. 

“It’s a clever menu. Lots can be done in prep. The steak and tuna will be cooked to order” replied Levi. 

“Can you run pass for this lunch? Mike has a sore throat today. He lost the plot with a chef yesterday who thought it was okay to serve up pink chicken” explained Erwin. Levi groaned inwardly. He hated the pass and dealing with inpatient waiters. 

Xox

“I need three tunas, two lambs and one steak” yelled Levi, over the clang of pots and pans. 

“Yes, chef” chorused the team of chefs behind him. 

“How long on steak?” called out Mike. He was responsible for the tuna tonight. 

“Two minutes” replied Eld. 

“How long on the first call?” yelled out Levi, as another docket came out of printer on the pass. 

“Two minutes” called back the group. 

“Next call. Two steaks, Two lambs” 

“Chef, order up” called out Gunter. Levi inspected the six plates in front of him. All the food was neatly presented on the plates. There was plenty of sauce where is was required and no fingerprints on the plates. Fingerprints on plates were one of Levi’s pet hates. He carefully placed all the plates on the pass. 

“Service, table two” he yelled. Two waitresses collected the plates and soon dockets were pouring in. Levi could feel sweat forming on his brow as the scalding hot kitchen went into fifth gear. Food was disappearing off the pass as quick as it was going up. 

“Hey chef, where is my two lambs for table nine?” yelled a waiter into the kitchen. Levi looked up and cursed his lack of height, glaring down at him, was a tall horse faced waiter with terrible two-toned dye job. 

“Well, two lambs?” demanded the waiter. Levi scanned the row of dockets in front of him. Table nine was the second last table in, with five table ahead of it. Levi glanced up at the clock. Table nine was only five minutes in. 

“Where is the lamb?” yelled the waiter. 

“What’s your name?” demanded Levi. This waiter was dancing on his last nerve. The waiter looked taken aback. 

“Jean” he replied, all the fire that was raging in him had died. 

“And what is your job here?” asked Levi, calmly. 

“I’m a waiter” 

“Then WAIT!” yelled Levi, glaring up at the waiter. The waiter bolted. Levi pulled in a quick breath to calm himself. He may have had only stood five feet three but at least he was not “five foot a bitch”. Eld’s words, not his. 

“I need three tunas, one chowder and two steaks for table five” he called. A battle cry filled the kitchen. 

Xox

“Table twelve, service” Levi called out, as he spiked the last docket and the plates were whisked off the pass. 

“Finally,” grinned Oluo.

“What are talking about?” asked Eld, flabbergasted. 

“Yeah, no one was ordering the chowder” added Gunter. Levi pulled off his bandana and mopped his brow. He had forgotten how hard the pass could be at lunch rush. His blood was still pounding in his ears. 

“What are you three doing here?” he asked Eld, Gunter and Oluo. They generally did the dinner service with him. 

“I need the extra cash, so I am pulling a few extra shifts,” said Eld.

“I am going on a date tonight. It’s our first one. We met online” explained Gunter. 

“One of the lunch guys need the morning off, so he swapped shifts with me,” said Oluo. 

“Levi, excellent running today. I knew I could count on you” Levi turned around. Erwin was standing in the doorway. 

“Thanks” replied the chef. 

“We do need you for dinner service tonight and Mike as well. So, if you both want to head home for a few hours, go ahead” said Erwin. 

“Sure, thanks, Erwin,” said Mike. Levi hesitated. 

“Go on. You work too hard” egged Oluo. 

“Yeah, we can handle prep,” said Gunter. 

“Alright, but if anything is a miss, when I come back, asses are getting kicked” replied Levi, as he left the kitchen with Mike. Laughter filled his ears. He felt a tiny smirk tug at his lips. Oluo, Eld and Gunter were a great team and could handle anything thrown at them. 

“Need a ride home?” asked Mike. 

“Yeah, thanks” replied Levi, as he changed out of his uniform back into his casual clothes. They made their way to the exit, chatting about the service and deciding a plan of attack for dinner service. 

“Hey Levi” Levi stopped and turned. His stomach sank slightly. “Not this again,” he thought to himself. “Yes, Petra?” he asked. 

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” 

“I’ll be in the car” said Mike, snorting as he left. Mike’s weird sniffing and snorting habit irritated Levi. However, it came in handy, as it was a running joke in the kitchen, that Mike could sniff out undercooked food. 

“When’s your next day off?” asked the hostess. Levi sighed. He knew where this was going. 

“Thursday” he replied. 

“Mine too. Do you want to meet for a drink?” Petra’s eyes shone with hope. 

“Sorry Petra, I have plans,” he said. 

“All day?” 

“All day” he confirmed. Her face fell as her smile faded ever so slightly. 

“Ah okay. See you at dinner service” she replied, quickly. She turned on her heels and walked away before Levi could utter another word. Levi shrugged, and followed Mike to the car. Mike was already in the driver’s seat with the engine started. 

“Did she ask you out again?” asked Mike. Levi nodded. “And you turned her down again”. Levi nodded again. The last part was more of a statement than a question. The drive to Levi’s apartment was a silent one. 

“See you at dinner service,” said Mike, as Levi got out of the car. 

“Thanks for the ride. See you then” Levi retrieved his keys from his coat pocket. He punched in the pass code for the main door and it buzzed open. He climbed the three flights of stairs to his apartment. He unlocked the door and was greeted by his pet cat, Scout. 

“Hey Scout” he said, closing the door and putting his keys in a small green glass bowl on a table beside the door. The bowl was a gift from Petra last Christmas. He fed Scout and checked the boiler. There was hot water. He went for a scalding hot shower. He was a clean freak with a touch of OCD. Perfect for a chef. After his shower, he made himself a cup of black tea and sank into his armchair. His skin tingled in a pleasant way from the hot water of the shower. Once finished his tea, he reclined his chair and dozed off. 

Xox

There was a loud clap of thunder. Levi jolted awake. Rain pounded against the windows of the apartment. 

“Fuck” he swore. He grabbed his phone off the coffee table. He texted Mike, asking for a lift to work. Getting the bus twice in one day, was too much for him. Mike replied and told him to be ready in twenty minutes. Mike arrived exactly twenty minutes later. They sat in the car, crawling through rush hour traffic. Most people were finishing their days work. They were only starting theirs. Levi began to drum his fingers on his knee. 

“What’s up” asked Mike. Levi shook his head. Out of nowhere, a feeling of dread had filled him. His stomach was in knots, as the restaurant came into view. 

“Look” gasped Mike, as he pulled into a parking space, across from the restaurant. There was half a dozen police cars and three ambulances parked outside the restaurant. Their lights flashing. Both chefs ejected themselves from the car and dashed over to the entrance. Bright yellow tape was pulled across the doorway, as police officers roamed around. 

“What happened here?” asked Mike, as they were stopped by a male officer. Levi could feel his heart pounding. He wanted to grab someone and demand answers. 

“This is a crime scene” replied the officer. 

“Sir, we are employees here” said Mike. Levi could hear his voice, starting to break. Levi looked around the officer. He saw Erwin. The manager was sickly pale, and his shirt and hands were covered in red liquid. 

“Erwin!” called out Levi. There was no response. “Erwin” Levi tried to push forward but was pushed back the officer. 

“Sir, like I said, this is a crime scene” 

“God damnit Erwin, look at me” screamed Levi. Erwin looked up. His face was unreadable. 

“Let them in” he said. Levi barely heard his words. They were little more than a whisper. Levi pushed by the officer and ran to Erwin. Mike followed. 

“What happened?” asked Levi, his voice shaking. 

“We made double what we would normally make on a lunch shift. I didn’t want so much cash sitting in the safe until the morning, so I went to the bank to deposit it. While I was gone, there was a robbery” he faded out. Levi grabbed Erwin by the shoulders. 

“Erwin” he cried out, his voice breaking. 

“Since the money was gone, they….” 

“Tell me” Levi could feel tears welling up. It became clear what the red liquid covering Erwin was. It was not happening. It was not real. 

“They killed Gunter, Oluo, Eld and Petra!” screamed Erwin, burying his head in his hands. “I tried to save them Levi. There was so much blood” whispered Erwin. Levi did not reply. He felt his world shatter. His team and Petra were gone. He sank to his knees, numbness caressing his mind and body, as Erwin’s soft cries filled his ears. 

XXX


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again, with the second chapter. After seeing the response to the first chapter, I couldn't resist writing up the second one and posting it. I would like to thank you all for the Kudos, bookmarks and comments. :)   
> Once again, I don't own any of the characters and feedback is appreciated. This is not beta'd.
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter two.  
Eren.  
“Eren, why do you have to be so messy in the kitchen?” groaned Armin. Eren looked up to his roommate. 

“Sorry dude, I promise this will be worth it” he grinned, as he waved a sauce-covered spoon in Armin’s direction. A few drops flew off the spoon.

“Eren, don’t get anything on these books. They belong to the library” cried Armin, diving to cover the textbooks. 

“Don’t worry. I won’t. Relax” laughed Eren, as he stirred the large pot. 

“Mikasa, can you please control him? He is your brother” pleaded Armin. 

“Sorry, Armin. I have been trying to control him since we were kids. Not happening!” replied a black-haired woman from the sofa as she thumbed her way through her own textbook. Eren laughed. He took three plates from the cupboard. He scooped a ladle full of rice on to each plate, followed by a scoop of mince and sauce. 

“Alright guy, dinner is served” announced Eren, as he set the plates on the table. Armin threw Mikasa a nervous glance. Mikasa sighed. 

“Thanks, Eren,” she said, joining him and Armin at the kitchen table. They began to eat in silence. 

“What do you think?” asked Eren, nervously. Armin chewed, thoughtfully. 

“I know it’s chilli con carne, but what’s that other odd taste in there? It doesn’t fit” he said, honestly. 

“I put chocolate in it” confessed Eren, as he pushed his food around the plate with his fork. Mikasa’s and Armin’s jaws hit the floor. 

“Chocolate?” asked Mikasa, in disbelief. 

“Yeah, I read that chocolate and chilli go well together” he replied, awkwardly. 

“Eren” she began.

“What?” he replied. He could feel himself growing annoyed. 

“Chocolate and chilli may go well together, but chocolate does not go well with kidney beans,” said Mikasa, flatly. 

“Alright, I get it. Thanks for the feedback” said Eren, loudly as he scooped the plates from the table. 

“Sorry Eren, but you always want us to be honest with you,” said Armin. 

“It’s okay. Wanna order some take out?” asked Eren, with a sad smile. 

“Chinese or Mexican?” asked Mikasa. 

“The pizza place down the road is doing some good deals,” said Armin. Eren sighed as he left them debating at the table. He scrapped the leftover food into the bin. The sound of the fork scraping against the plate was jarring. He winced at the sound. He felt sure he had managed to cook something good this time. He really wanted to spend his life cooking. He loved it. He quickly washed the plates and set them on the drying rack. He returned to Armin and Mikasa. There was take out leaflets all over the table. Eren felt himself deflate. This was a common occurrence on the nights he cooked. 

“What do you want, Eren?” asked Armin. 

“Chinese, I guess,” said Eren. Armin passed him a menu. He read through it quickly. 

“Satay chicken and rice,” he said, putting down the menu. Mikasa pulled out her phone and began to order through a take-out app. She stood up, mumbling about something and left the room. Eren felt like he had been punched in the gut. 

“I will take care of this,” said Eren, as he reached to his bag, which was hanging off the back of his chair. 

“No, Eren. You paid last time” injected Armin. 

“Armin, I used all the mince” replied Eren, as he opened his wallet. There was very little cash in it, maybe thirty dollars at most. He cringed at the sight. 

“It was out of date tomorrow. You did us a favour” defended Armin. “You know how much Mikasa hates throwing out food” he added. 

“Food ordered. It will be here in half an hour. I took care of it” said Mikasa, as she re-entered the kitchen. 

“You’re the best,” said Eren, hugging her gently. 

“Thank you,” said Armin. Mikasa smiled softly and she sat back on the sofa. The food arrived and the three of them ate in silence. 

“Good call on Chinese,” said Armin, breaking the silence. Neither of them replied. 

Xox

“I will deal with these,” said Armin. He cleared up the empty containers and washed them out. He dumped them in the recycling bin. “Hey Mikasa, do you want me to keep this beef?” he asked. 

“Yeah, sure. There should be space at the top of the fridge” she replied. Armin put a lid on the container and took it to the fridge. 

“Eren, what’s this?” asked Armin. Eren looked up and wished the ground would swallow him whole. Armin held a baking tin in his hands. 

“It’s a chocolate and chilli cheesecake” grumbled Eren, burying his head in his hands. He could not deal with any more humiliation. Armin threw a look to Mikasa. 

“Wanna try some, Mikasa?” asked Armin. 

“Sure”

“Guys, you don’t have to humour me. I know it will suck” wailed Eren, throwing his hands up in the air. “I should just give up on cooking and focus on college. Mom would have wanted that, right?” he babbled.

“Eren, this actually tastes good,” said Mikasa. Eren stopped his babbling and looked at his roommates. His eyes were wide with shock. 

“It’s good?” he asked in disbelief. 

“Yes, well, it’s a little heavy on the chilli side for me but it does taste nice,” said Armin. 

“The creaminess and spicy do go well together. It’s like a kick to the tongue then this calming creamy effect after” explained Mikasa, as she cleared her plate. Eren’s face lit up. He wanted to dance around the kitchen in delight. 

“Thanks, guys” he smiled. 

“Don’t give up the day job” laughed Armin. The group laughed. 

“Jean’s home,” said Mikasa as the front door opened and closed. Jean stormed into the kitchen and dramatically threw himself onto the sofa. 

“Hello to you too, horse face,” said Eren, as he rolled his eyes. 

“Hey yourself” replied Jean, kicking off his shoes. He threw an arm over his eyes and sighed. Silence. Eren struggled to retain a laugh as Jean peaked out from under his arm. 

“Excuse me…” huffed Jean. The penny dropped first for Mikasa. 

“Bad day?” she asked, trying to repress a smile. 

“Don’t get me started” whined Jean. 

“Trust me, we don’t want you to” chimed in Eren. Jean ignored him.

“Breakfast and lunch service. The only good thing about those hours is getting to finish at like three-thirty. The worst part of the day was the angry ass hat of a chef that was covering lunch service today. The angry dwarf can barely see over the pass. Like I asked him where my lamb for table nine was? He asks me what my job is, so I tell him I am a waiter. Then you will never believe what he told me!!” ranted Jean.

“What did he tell you?” sniggered Eren. 

“He told me to WAIT!! Can you believe that asshole?” half yelled Jean, sitting up completely straight. Eren and the others could not contain themselves anymore. They burst out laughing. Eren could feel tears rolling down his face and his sides hurt. 

“Would you like some cheesecake?” asked Armin, through his own laughter. 

“Go on. It might care more than you lot” sniffed Jean, wiping a fake tear from his eye. Armin passed a slice to Jean. He sniffed it. “Another invention, Jaeger?” he asked. 

“Yeah, it’s chocolate and chilli” replied Eren. 

“Doesn’t taste half bad” said Jean, as he ate it. 

“Really?”

“It’s better than some of the crap you have put up!”

“Not all my ideas are bad” retorted Eren.

“Lamb with mint and orange” said Mikasa.

“Chocolate chilli con carne” said Armin. 

“Duck with garlic and apples,” said Jean.

“Alright, alright. I get it” admitted Eren. 

“Anyways, after all the shit days and crap, who’s up for a few beers?” asked Jean, dumping his plate in the sink. 

“I’m game,” said Eren. 

“Don’t go overboard. We have to open tomorrow” said Mikasa. Eren rolled his eyes. 

“Some days, I wish that stupid coffee shop didn’t exist” he groaned. 

“We need these jobs to foot the college bill,” said Jean.

“Yeah, we all can’t be scholarship worthy like Armin” laughed Eren. 

“Excuse me, I did three years of research and a one hundred-thousand-word essay on the history of Shiganshina to get that scholarship” defended Armin. 

“Should we have a house party?” asked Jean, as he checked the fridge for a beer. 

“House party. It’s been awhile since we had one of those” said Eren. 

“If we have a house party, we need to keep it down. We don’t need that creep from upstairs looking to join!” said Mikasa. 

“Which one? There are lots of creeps in this building” said Eren. 

“Big, beefy guy, blonde hair. I think his name is Reiner” said Mikasa. 

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about him. Rumour has it, that Reiner is as straight as an S-hook” said Jean. 

“So just the usual gang?” asked Armin. 

“Yeah, so Sasha, Connie, Ymir, and Krista,” said Eren. 

“Actually, I want to invite someone. His name is Marco. He’s in my physiology class” explain Mikasa.

“Sure,” said the others. They sent out the invites and set about cleaning the flat. It was a small and cramped but cleverly contained flat with three bedrooms. The kitchen was combined with the living room, which had a small coffee table, a sofa and two mismatched armchairs. Eren and Armin shared a room. Jean had the smallest room in the flat and Mikasa had the room with the en-suite, so she would have some privacy in the tiny flat. About an hour or so later, Jean’s phone rang. He looked at it and rolled his eyes. 

“Work” he grumbled. “Hey Erwin” he answered the phone. Mikasa nudged Eren and nodded to Jean. He had gone pale and looked ill. 

“Sure, Erwin. Thank you. Keep me updated” said Jean. His voice sounded hollow. He cancelled the call and let his phone fall from his grasp. 

“Jean” cried Mikasa as he dropped onto the sofa, his head in his hand. 

“What’s going on?” she cried, going over to him and sitting next to him. She wrapped an arm around Jean’s shoulders. Jean curled into her. Tears poured down his face. Eren was shell-shocked. He had never seen Jean like this, let alone cry. 

“There was a robbery at the restaurant. It went wrong. Three chefs and the hostess were killed. It happened at four-thirty” he whispered, so softly Eren barely heard him. Mikasa hugged Jean closer. Armin sat down. He looked pale as well. 

“The restaurant is closed until further notice” concluded Jean. 

“Shit, dude” whispered Eren. The gravity of the situation had just smacked him. One hour, if everything had happened just one hour later, Jean could have been dead as well. He shuddered at the thought. 

“Let’s call of the party,” said Armin. A silent agreement met his words. He took out his phone and began to make the necessary phone calls. Mikasa called Marco. Eren sat down on one of the armchairs. 

“Ya know, I offered to stay and help Petra set up for dinner service. She said she was okay with it because we kept on top it during lunch, there were only a few things to do. She told me to go to the library and study my ass off. Now, she’s gone” whispered Jean, clutching his hair. “Maybe, if I had stayed, I could have done something!” he cried out. Eren and the others stayed silent. They all knew that if Jean was there, either he would have died too, or Petra would have still died. Armin moved over to the sofa to sit beside Jean and Eren followed suit to sit beside Mikasa. They stayed like that, cuddled together on the sofa. The only noises in the flat were Jean’s soft cries and the rain rattling off the windows.

XXX


	3. Chapter three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!  
> Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. Work was kicking my butt and I was in a car accident on Monday. Nothing serious, just the weather and roads were really bad. Also, I noticed in the first chapter I spelt it "Hanji" but since the tags say "Hange" that is the spelling I will use from now on. Thank you for all the wonderful kudos and bookmarks! Love you all! 
> 
> I don't own Attack on Titan or any of these characters! 
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter three.  
Levi.  
It had been five days since the robbery. Levi had hardly left his apartment. He only left to buy cigarettes, cat food and some groceries. Levi hated smoking. He had kicked the habit five years ago, but the loss of his friends brought the cravings back. He had never felt so pathetic in all his life. He was curled up in a ball in his armchair. All the pain he had buried ten years ago, resurfaced with more added to it. First, it was Isabelle and Farlan. Now Eld, Gunter, Oluo and Petra. He jumped to his feet and screamed. Why him? Why did everyone he let get close to him get hurt? He screamed again, his slender fingers pulling at his hair. 

“God damn it all” he screamed, sinking to his knees. A loud pounding filled his head. 

“Open up Shorty. I know you’re in there” yelled a voice, as the pounding continued. More voices joined. They were muffled but Levi could still make out what they were saying. 

“Don’t Hange” said a voice.

“I have a key” added a voice. 

“How could you get a key, Eyebrows?” 

“Because I don’t harass Levi every five minutes” A key scraped into the lock and the door opened. 

“Levi” called Erwin.

“Shorty?” called Hange. 

“Hange, do you want to get us all killed? I’ve seen Levi break down a whole chicken in less than ninety seconds” hissed Mike. Levi stood up and the three fell silent. 

“Levi” cried Hange. 

“Go away” he snapped. 

“That is not an option. The last of the funerals are today. It’s Petra’s funeral” said Erwin. Levi looked away. 

“I can’t,” he said. His voice was hoarse from screaming. 

“You didn’t go to the others,” said Hange. 

“I know” 

“This will help with the grieving process,” said Erwin. Levi sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Petra’s father asked for you to say a few words at the service,” said Mike. Levi’s throat grew dry. Why would her father do that? 

“Levi, this isn’t your fault,” said Erwin, as he rested a large hand on Levi’s shoulder. Levi jumped to his feet. Rage boiled inside him as he smacked Erwin’s hand away. 

“Yeah, it’s all your fault” he spat. “If you didn’t skip off with that fucking cash, they would all be still alive” he hissed, squaring up to Erwin. Levi was ready to fight, and he did not give a fuck that Erwin was a foot taller than him or had close to one hundred pounds on him. 

“Maybe or they still would have died. Who knows?” replied Erwin, his voice was sombre. 

“You are a fucking bastard” cursed Levi, as he threw a punch. Erwin caught his fist like it was nothing. He pushed it away and seized Levi by the shoulders. Levi felt the rage inside him die as he saw rage bubbling in Erwin’s eyes.

“Listen here you little piece of shit. I do admit was my fault. I have their blood on my hands. I had Petra’s blood on my hands. I tried to save her, but I couldn’t stop the bleeding. They shot her in the back. I will never be able to forget the sight of her, slumped up against the hostess stand” he roared, shaking Levi violently. 

“Erwin, stop” cried Hange. Mike stepped in and placed a hand on Erwin’s shoulder. 

“Erwin, please. Let him go” he said, calmly. Erwin inhaled, deeply through his nose. He released him. Levi stumbled back, in shock. He had never seen Erwin so angry. 

“Now, Petra cared deeply for you, even though you never deserved it. Show her some respect and go to that fucking funeral” snapped Erwin, his voice quivering with anger. Levi nodded. He felt numb. Erwin was right. Petra cared for him, even though he never deserved it. He went to his room and opened his wardrobe. It was meticulously organised. It made his search for his funeral attire much easier. A white shirt, a black tie and black slacks. He slipped on a pair of black leather shoes and went back to the others. Hange was petting Scout. Erwin was gazing out the window and Mike paced back and forth. Levi took his black pea coat off a coat hook. 

“I’m ready,” he said. He did not feel ready though. 

“My car is downstairs,” said Mike. They left the apartment and made their way to Mike’s car. It was a simple silver Sedan. It got Mike from point A to point B, so it did its job. Since Erwin was the tallest of the passengers, he claimed the front seat, leaving Levi and Hange to the backseats. Levi gazed out the window. He was lost in his own thoughts, wondering what he could say about Petra. A warm hand encompassing his cold one brought him out of his thoughts. He looked to Hange. 

“Here” she handed him a small notebook and pen. “Maybe you could write down, what you want to say” she suggested. Levi nodded and opened the book. What could he say about Petra? He and Petra rarely spoke, and when they did, it was usually about work or him rejecting her dates. 

“Levi, it’s okay, if you don’t want to speak. Erwin can do it” said Hange. Levi gripped the pen tightly. 

“No, I owe this to Petra. I rejected her so often, I may as well do something nice for her” he said softly. 

“We’ll be at the church in five minutes,” said Erwin. Levi began to chew his lip as he wrote a short paragraph about the hostess. 

Xox

“Alright, we’re here now,” said Mike as he parked the car. The group made their way into the church. Levi had never felt so small in all his life, as the spires of the church loomed overhead. A small man stood beside the door. He greeted people as they entered. Levi stopped. It was Petra’s father. Levi had only ever met the man once before when he had come to drop Petra’s car off to her in work one day. The group approached the church. Mr Ral looked up and spotted them. 

“Ah, Mr. Smith. Thank you for coming. The police told me that you tried to save my daughter. I can’t thank you enough for that” said the man, a sad smile traced across his features. Erwin sighed. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t sav…” The old man held up a hand. 

“Petra would have wanted us to celebrate her life. Not grieve her” he said. Levi hung back, hoping Mike’s bulky frame would shield him from Mr Ral. He could not face the man. 

“Is Mr Ackerman here?” asked the man. Levi sighed. “Might as well grow some balls” he said to himself. He stepped out from behind Mike. 

“Hello, Mr Ral. I am sorry for your loss. Petra was a wonderful person” he said, looking at Mr Ral. 

“Thank you, Mr Ackerman. Petra was deeply fond of you. She mentioned you often when we spoke” explained the other man. Levi felt his insides squirm. 

“If you want to go in, there is seating reserved for you near the front. It’s the pew labelled Maria. I would like to thank you all for coming. Many of Petra’s co-workers came” explained Mr Ral. 

“Thank you and you are most welcome” replied Erwin. The group entered the church. It was crowded and filled with soft whispers. Mike, Erwin and Hange blessed themselves with holy water. Levi chose not to. He was never religious, and he was not going to start praying to a God, he did not believe in, today. Levi felt his throat dry up when he saw a black casket at the top of the aisle. They sat in the pew assigned to them. It was forth from the front. Levi could not take his eyes off the casket. He choked on his breath. There was a portrait of Petra beside the casket. He remembered the day Erwin took the picture. It was the day, she started working at Maria. The first day he met her. Levi bowed his head and fought back tears. Petra’s bright smile, flawless work ethic and friendly demeanour were everything a person could want. Little did she know; the next three years would be filled with rejected dates. Levi felt Hange nudge him. 

“Levi, you’re up” she whispered. Levi looked at her, slightly confused. He had been so lost in his thoughts. 

“The Minister asked you to speak” she whispered. Levi nodded. Slowly, Levi walked up to the stand. He took his place in front of the crowd. He unfolded the small sheet he wrote his speech on. He opened his mouth to speak but the words got trapped behind his Adam’s apple. He clenched his fist and looked up. All he could see was tear stained cheeks and eyes that were red from crying. He willed himself to speak. 

“Petra was a wonderful person. She was kind, thoughtful, humble and never put a foot wrong with anyone. I met Petra three years ago when she started working at Maria. She had a flawless work ethic and was always the same inside and outside of work; kind, compassionate and enthusiastic. One of my fondest memories of Petra, was when she single handily saved the day. It was a busy mothers’ day. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong and tempers started to flare. So, Petra bolted down to the arts and craft store down the street. She bought a bag of face paints and modelling balloons. Every kid in the place had their face painted and got a balloon animal. However, the only balloon animal Petra could make was a snake” 

A small chuckle filled the church and it faded just as quick. It echoed for a just a moment. Levi took a deep breath. He could feel his emotions raging inside him, getting ready to explode. 

“That was Petra to the core. She always put everyone ahead of herself. She never said no to a friend in need and no job was too big or too small for her” Levi stopped again. He needed to wrap this up before he started crying and let his emotions cry out about all the rejected dates. 

“Goodbye Petra. You will be missed” he concluded, stepping down and returning to Hange’s side. 

“That was beautiful” she whispered, tears flowing from her eyes. Levi remained silent, fighting back his tears. The service finished shortly after. The crowd filed out of the church. 

“Do we go to the burial?” asked Hange. 

“No, it’s for family only” replied Erwin. 

“I need a drink” sighed Hange, as she adjusted her glasses.

“Agreed,” said Levi, as they made their way back to Mike’s car. 

Xox

“This round is on me,” said Erwin, as he set a tray of glasses down on the table. 

“Thanks, Erwin,” the group said in unison, as the retrieved their drinks. Levi brought his chosen poison to his lips. It was a straight whiskey with two ice cubes in it. The spicy liquor burned his throat on the way down. The chatted about life and all the good times. 

“My round,” said Levi, standing up.

“Sit yo’ ass back down shorty. It’s my turn” hiccupped Hange. She stood up using Mike as a crutch. He did not seem to mind. 

“Sit down four eyes. I am getting you a water” said Levi, rolling his eyes. 

“No way, you sit my little ravioli” sang Hange, as she swayed up to the bar. Levi sat down. Tipsy Hange was a stubborn Hange. 

“What is she drinking?” he asked. Mike picked up the elegant cocktail glass and sniffed it. 

“It smells like skittles,” he said. 

“Do you feel better, Levi?” asked Erwin. Levi shrugged. 

“I don’t know, to be honest” he confessed. 

“I come with gifts of love” cheered Hange, as she returned with their drinks. Miraculously, she did not spill a drop as she set down the tray. 

“Hange, you never cease to amaze me,” said Erwin, as he picked up his pint of ale. 

“Hey, shorty” began Hange. 

“Don’t call me that” snapped Levi. 

“Fine, half pint” 

“What is it, shitty glasses?” Hange recoiled in mock hurt, wiping crocodile tears from her eyes. 

“Why did you never accept any of Petra’s dates?” she asked. Levi looked away.

“None of your business,” he said, sipping his whiskey. 

“Awwwwww, tell me” whined Hange. Levi raised an eyebrow. 

“Fine, she wasn’t my type,” he said. 

“Don’t go for auburn hair?” asked Mike. 

“What is your type?” asked Erwin. 

“Tall,” said Levi. 

“Come again?” asked Mike. 

“I like tall people” 

“Tall?” asked Erwin, rolling his hand. 

“Women, men, old or young. They just have to be tall and not total slobs” Levi clarified. 

“Watch out, Mike. Levi could be after you” giggled Hange. 

“Shut up four eyes. Mike is too tall. I am only five feet three” retorted Levi. 

“Are you sure? You look closer to five feet two” mused Hange. 

“God, how did you ever become a chef?” questioned Levi. Hange straightened up. 

“Well excuse me. Unlike your chopping this and chopping that, a glug of this and a pinch of that. Pastry and chocolate work is an actual science” she replied, defending her craft. “Also, you either have “it” or you don’t” she concluded. 

“What’s “it”?” asked Erwin. Hange shrugged. 

“You can show someone how to do it but if they don’t have the right touch, you can forget about it. This “it” is something you can’t teach, but you can teach them how to hone “it” she explained.

“Alright, I think it’s best we leave it there,” said Erwin. “It’s getting late and the restaurant is reopening tomorrow” he continued, standing up and putting on his coat. “Levi, you can take another few days off” he concluded.

“Erwin, that’s not necessary,” said Levi.

“No, Levi. Stay at home and come up with some new ideas for me” replied Erwin. Levi gave up. Once, Erwin had decided something, that was it. There was no changing his mind. They finished their drinks and parted ways. Rain fell from the heavens and bounced off the dark pavement. Levi pulled his coat tighter around him and hailed a cab. The driver chatted about “his wonderful kids” and “bitch of an ex-wife”. Levi filled in the conversation with “yeah” and “hmmm” when required. The cab came to a halt. 

“Here ya go. It will be sixteen dollars” said the cab driver. Levi took out his wallet and took out a twenty.

“Here, keep the change” he handed the money to the driver and exited the cab. The rain had not lessened. Cold and wet, he took the lift to his apartment. 

“Hey Scout,” he said, as he entered the apartment. The cat, a sleek jet-black Manx, meowed back. Levi was house proud. He had bought his two-bedroom apartment off the plans about eleven years ago. He, then, spent the next two years, fitting it out to suit his tastes. It was simple and to the point. Most of his budget went on his kitchen. Levi was proud of that kitchen and the quality of it. 

Feeling emotionally and physically exhausted after the day’s events, Levi headed straight to bed. He changed into a pair of sweatpants. He washed his face and teeth. At long last, Levi welcomed the comfort of his king-sized bed. 

“Night, Scout” he grumbled, as the feline joined him on the bed. Slowly, but surely, he fell into the first deep and dreamless sleep, he had in five days. 

XXX


	4. Chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there everyone! Sorry about the delay with this chapter. Work was kicking my behind and I was totally stressing out about my car but I got it back today! 
> 
> Thank you for all the wonderful kudos and bookmarks! :) I can't believe this story has over 300 hits! It made my day when I checked the hit counter today! :) Kudos, bookmarks and feedback are all appreciated. Also, I am sorry for how short this chapter is. It is just to kinda get the ball rolling! 
> 
> I don't own Attack on Titan. 
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter four.  
Eren.

“Eren, please stop standing around and look busy” hissed Mikasa, under her breath. 

“Mikasa, there is nothing to do. Like absolutely nothing” groaned Eren, as he bounced on the balls of his feet. 

“Go wipe the tables or something” she snapped, as she began to polish cutlery for the eighth time. 

“If I do that once more, I will go insane” he replied. 

“Eren, you only wiped them once today” retorted Mikasa, as she scrubbed at a non-existent stain on a knife. It was a slow day in the café. They only had a dozen customers over the last three hours, and they were all to-go orders. 

“Is Jean working today?” asked Eren, as he wiped down the milk wand of the coffee machine. 

“Yeah, it’s his first day back” replied Mikasa, as she cleaned the spotless countertop. The bell above the door chimed as it opened and closed. Eren stayed behind the coffee machine. Mikasa was much better with customers than him. 

“Welcome to 104th,” said Mikasa. Eren peered around the around the large coffee machine. It was Lenny from about a week ago. 

“Hi, what can I get for you?” asked Mikasa, as she pulled a small notebook and pen from her apron. 

“A black tea and a BLT” he replied. 

“Wholemeal or white bread?” 

“Wholemeal. Could you toast it please?” he asked. 

“No problem. Take a seat and one of us will drop it down to you” said Mikasa, as she finished jotting down the order. Lenny nodded and thanked Mikasa. He sat beside the window. Eren felt his knees knock together. He gripped the counter to prop himself up. 

“Eren, what’s wrong?” whispered cried Mikasa, in shock. 

“His voice” gasped Eren, his heart doing somersaults. “It’s like silk and velvet got together and had a child” he shuddered. 

“Eren, what the literal fuck is wrong with you?” whispered Mikasa, as she facepalmed. 

“Do you want to do the BLT or the tea?” she asked. 

“The BLT. Will you bring it down to him?” 

“Why?”

“I may dry hump his leg if I hear his voice again” whined Eren. Mikasa rolled her eyes and made a comment about him been a “horny pervert”. Eren sighed as he set about making the sandwich. Hannes’ BLT was not your standard BLT. It had a sharp and tangy dressing. The bacon was slow roasted whole and sliced thinly on the meat slicer. There were textures of tomato. It involved both fresh tomato and a sweet tomato relish. The only normal thing about this BLT, in Eren’s opinion, was the iceberg lettuce. Every morning, the dressing and the relish were made fresh. Hannes’ always slow cooked the bacon overnight for about twelve hours. It was a family recipe and Hannes’ guarded it with his life. The sandwich was delicious, in Eren’s opinion. This morning, it was his turn to make the dressing and relish. 

“Right Mikasa, this sandwich is good to go,” he said, as he removed it from the sandwich press and placed it on a plate with some salad. He put some dressing on top of the salad. He handed the plate to Mikasa and she looked at it confused. 

“I think you went a bit heavy handed on the dressing” she commented. Eren shrugged. 

“Hannes never said anything about not putting it on the salad” he replied. Mikasa sighed and pick up a steaming cup of tea. She gracefully walked down and dropped the food off at “Lenny’s” table. Eren was mesmerised by their customer. Lenny was a handsome man. He had steely grey eyes, that held the smallest hint of blue in them. His features were sharp and intense. It all distracted from the man’s lack of height, which Eren never noticed until he was standing beside the table. “Lenny’s” black hair was neatly styled, and he had an undercut. Eren thought undercuts went out of fashion years ago, but it looked amazing on “Lenny”. 

“Eren, please stop gawking. He will think you’re a creep or a stalker or something” snapped Mikasa, as she returned to the counter. Eren snapped back to reality. Mikasa was glaring at him. 

“Hannes doesn’t pay us to stand around and stare at customers” she hissed, as she began to polish a small stainless steel milk jug. 

“Sorry” he muttered as he set about finding himself a job to do. It was just to distract himself from the other man. He found a job. The fridge that the stored all the different kinds of milk and juices needed a good clean out. The fridge was located under the counter, just below the coffee machine. He got a cloth and container of hot water. He took all the cartons out of the fridge and stacked them up on an available workbench. He set about cleaning the fridge. He had become so engrossed in scrubbing the metal shelves, that a sharp “excuse me” scared him. Eren jumped up suddenly and smacked the back of his head on the edge of the counter. He groaned in pain as he massaged the back of his head. He stood up. 

“Son of a bitch” he swore. 

“Eren, are you alright?” asked Mikasa, as she rushed to his side. 

“Yeah, I am fine” he grumbled. He could feel a small lump starting to grow on the back of his head. A small cough filled their ears. He and Mikasa looked around. “Lenny” was standing there. He had a frown plastered across his face. Eren swallowed as he saw the BLT in his hand. There were a few small bites, missing from the sandwich. 

“Is everything alright, Sir?” asked Mikasa. 

“No. The sauce on this. Who made it?” he asked. 

“It’s the owner’s recipe but we make it fresh every day” she replied.

“Who made it today?” he questioned.

“I did” replied Eren, as he felt pain spreading from the lump on his head. 

“Did you follow a recipe?” 

“Well, there is no real recipe. He just told us want goes in it” answered Eren. He felt so awkward under the man’s intense stare. 

“What’s the issue?” Mikasa’s voice sliced through the air like a dagger. “Lenny” raised a slender eyebrow. 

“It’s the most jarring thing I have ever eaten in my life. Too much lemon and it’s so runny, it’s soaking into the bread. It’s very messy” he replied, setting the plate down on the countertop. 

“I’m sorry about that. I can get you something else to eat” replied Mikasa. “Lenny” shook his head. 

“No, thank you. I will stick with my tea” he replied. “Just remember to taste as you go” he added just before he went back to his table.

“Asshole” muttered Mikasa. 

“He was only offering us some advice” defended Eren. “He sounds like a pro” he added. Mikasa rolled her eyes. 

Maybe he is, or maybe he’s just an asshole” she scoffed, as she resumed polishing milk jugs. Eren sighed and he began to clean down the cold meats display. He kept stealing glances at the handsome man at the table by the window. “Lenny” sipped at his tea as he wrote and doodled into a small black notebook. After an hour or so, “Lenny” packed up, paid Mikasa and left. 

“What a hot piece of ass” fawned Eren, as he watched the other man walk by the window. 

“Eren, really?” laughed Mikasa. Eren picked up a cloth and headed to clean the table. As he wiped the table, he spotted a notebook on the floor. 

“Hot dude that was here just dropped this” called Eren, as he picked up the book. 

“Give it here. If he wants badly, he will come back for it” said Mikasa. Eren dropped the cloth on the table and flicked open the cover of the notebook. 

“Eren, don’t read it. It could be personal!” exclaimed Mikasa. Eren burst out laughing. He could feel tears forming in his eyes. 

“What it is, Eren?” she half yelled. 

“Oh, Mikasa. Your handwriting is terrible” Eren huffed out between laughs. He had put his hand on the table to support himself. 

“What has that got to do with this?” she asked, flabbergasted by Eren’s laughing fit. 

“His name is Levi Ackerman, and this is a recipe book” sang Eren, holding the book aloft. 

“Eren, we have to return it. Give it here” she exclaimed, holding out her hand. 

“We will give it back, but I want to read it first” chuckled Eren, as he tucked the book into his apron. Ignoring Mikasa’s frown, he resumed his work with a skip in his step


	5. Chapter five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry about the delay on this chapter. Work has been just so hectic. Thank you for the lovely kudos and bookmarks! I can't believe we are at nearly 500 hits! Here is chapter five! Kudos, feedback and bookmarks are all appreciated. I don't own attack on titan! 
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter five.  
Levi.

“Fuck” swore Levi, under his breath. 

“What’s wrong, shorty?” asked Hange as she put her casual clothes in her locker. 

“For the one-millionth time, don’t call me that” he snapped, slamming the door of his own locker shut. Hange chuckled. 

“Okay, but on a serious note, what’s up?” asked the pastry chef. 

“My notebook is missing. I had it yesterday” he scowled, punching the door of the locker next to his locker. 

“Easy Levi” warned Hange. 

“You don’t understand. All my ideas are in that book” he snapped, running a hand through his black hair. 

“Easy there, or you will give yourself a receding hairline” cautioned Hange. 

“Damn it all to hell. I had a new idea for Erwin as well” 

“Do you remember it?” she asked, 

“Sort of. It was inspired by Petra…” Levi’s voice got caught behind his Adam’s apple. He looked at his feet. 

“Oh, Levi” Levi remained looking at his feet as Hange enveloped him in a warm embrace. 

“It’s okay. What was the idea?” she whispered, softly.

“A confit duck leg with crispy skin and salad” he replied. 

“I can see the inspiration” smiled Hange, releasing him from the hug. Levi shrugged. 

“I can’t do much with the idea until I get my notebook back,” he said. 

“Where did you last see it?” asked Hange. 

“In the café, 104th. It’s the café near my place” he replied. 

“Well, go back there in the morning and ask if anyone handed it in” half yelled the pastry chef. Levi groaned. Why didn’t he think of that? It was the most obvious thing to do.

“Good idea, for once four eyes” retorted Levi, as he covered his hair with a black and red bandana. 

“See, I am full of the good ideas” laughed Hange, as they walked to the kitchen. 

“What’s on your menu tonight?” asked Levi. 

“The usual. A deconstructed lemon tart with ice cream. Profiteroles with chocolate sauce. Strawberry cheesecake. The chocolate fudge cake and shooting star” smiled Hange. Levi felt saliva forming in his mouth. Hange’s desserts were to die for. 

“What’s shooting star?” he asked.

“It’s a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a strawberry and kiwi slick with popping candy trailing behind it. Something for the kids” she explained. 

“Clever thinking” replied Levi. 

“That’s why I love pastry. There are rigid ground rules that must be followed but there is lots of room for experimenting and fun” she smiled, her eyes were bright. Levi half smiled and prayed Hange would not spot it. Hange was so passionate about her work. 

“Home sweet home” sang Hange, as they entered the kitchen. The kitchen in Maria was divided into two sections; the sweet and the savoury. A narrow walkway with two large walk-in cold rooms and two large walk-in freezers separated the kitchens. There was an experiment kitchen, hidden away from the rest of the world. Only Erwin, Levi, Hange, Mike and Moblit had keys for it. Both kitchens were filled with state of the art equipment. The maintenance team checked the equipment bi-monthly. It was replaced every two to five years, depending on the lifespan of the equipment. Levi was a big fan of Erwin’s cleaning policy. Every night, after service, the kitchens were scrubbed clean and every Monday, while the restaurant was closed, the kitchens were deep cleaned. Levi loved coming into the smell of a clean kitchen. Maria never failed a health inspection. In fact, they set the bar for Maria’s sister restaurants; Rose and Sina. Erwin and Mike stood in the kitchen. They were surrounded by eight large crates. There was a clipboard on top of each crate. 

“Ah, good morning. Good to see you both. Welcome back, Levi” grinned Erwin. 

“Thanks, Eyebrows. New stock orders?” asked Levi. 

“Yeah, and we could do with a hand,” said Mike. Levi picked up two clipboards and Hange followed suit. There were five pages on each clipboard. 

“There are four crates for the pastry kitchen and four for the savoury. Hange and I can sort the sweet crates and you two can sort the savoury” explained Erwin. They reshuffled the clipboards around until they had the ones they needed. 

“Oh” swooned Hange as she read her clipboards.

“Good shit?” asked Levi.

“It reads like food porn” she squealed. Levi flicked through his own list. He was impressed.

“How many dicks did you have to suck to get this, Eyebrows?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at his manager.

“Just Zackley’s” joked Erwin. The three restaurants each had a manager. Erwin oversaw Maria. Dot Pixis ran Rose, while Nile Dok was the manager of Sina. In charge of them was Darius Zackley, who answered to Rod Reiss, the owner of the three restaurants. 

“Check this out,” said Mike, holding up a bird. It seemed tiny in Mike’s enormous hands. 

“Ah lovely, some quail,” said Erwin, as he opened one of his crates.

“What’s quail?” asked Hange, as she looked at the tiny bird. Her eyes were full of curiosity. 

“It’s similar to a tiny chicken but packs way more flavour” explained Erwin.

“It’s a bitch to prepare. It has a lot of small bones, which are extremely sharp. One missed bone could kill a customer” explained Levi, as he eyed the bird with disdain. 

“Roast whole and carve?” suggested Mike, as he put the bird back in the crate. 

“We could, but then we are losing the bones and all the flavours that come with them. I hate wasting bones” said Levi as he rummaged through his own crate. He found a variety of spices and herbs. He enjoyed playing around with herbs and spices. It was a fun challenge for him to create new flavour profiles with them. 

“Oh Erwin, I love you” cried Hange. Levi looked over. Hange had managed to fold herself into one of her crates with her legs hanging out over the edge. 

“Mike, help” she squealed. Mike chuckled as he helped Hange get upright and out of the crate. She smiled brightly as she clutched a white bag to her chest. Erwin chuckled. 

“I knew you’d like that one” he smiled. 

“What have you got there?” asked Levi, his curiosity now on display. 

“It’s isomalt sugar” squealed Hange. Levi shook his head. He had no idea why Hange was so excited over a bag of sugar. 

“It’s basically a craft sugar. Heat it up and it will go like syrup. Pour it into a mould et Voilà. You can make all sorts of crazy sugar work with this like edible spoons” cheered Hange. Levi felt his jaw drop. Mike also looked confused. 

“Did you just say edible spoons?” asked Levi. Hange nodded. Her ponytail bounced as she did. 

“Yes, like imagine eating chocolate ice-cream with a mint spoon. As the spoon melts, you taste mint, but your mind is telling you, you’re eating plain old chocolate” she babbled. Levi inwardly smiled. Hange and her enthusiasm were infectious. 

“I got some whole ducks over here,” said Mike, as he shifted stuff around in his crate. Levi looked up to see Mike holding a whole duck. He looked back into his own crates. There were large cartons of olive oil sitting in them. They were calling out to him. 

“Erwin, I have an idea for the ducks” began Levi. He tried to ignore the quiver in his voice. He prayed the others would not notice. 

“Go on” replied the manager. Levi swallowed and bit the bullet. 

“Confit duck legs with crispy skip and salad” answered the chef. 

“It sounds good,” said Mike.

“It does sound like a promising dish. It will have to get through Zackley first, and you know what he is like with menu changes” replied Erwin. Levi rolled his eyes. 

“If Dok can change his menu weekly, I don’t see the issue with us adding to our menu” he retorted. It was no secret that the staff at Sina, had their heads wedged firmly up their own asses. Levi despised that restaurant. The food was over-rated and sub-par, in his opinion. However, people still flocked there, to pay forty dollars for a plate of food, that was smaller than the portion of cat food Levi fed to Scout! 

“Come on, Hange put down the sugar. Let’s finish sorting all this out and put away as quickly as possible” said Erwin, as he loosened his tie. Levi agreed. This task was eating into valuable prep time, that he and Mike needed to be in the kitchen for. 

“I have a batch of interviews today for a new hostess. That Jean fellow is not very good at it. The sooner I replace him the better” explained Erwin.

“Any promising candidates?” asked Hange.

“There is one that stands out. Her name is Krista Lenz. She just finished a course in tourism and hospitality. She comes with experience as both a hostess and a waitress” answered Erwin. Levi stopped what he was doing. His throat had gone dry and his heart began to pound. Petra was gone, and this confirmed it. 

“Looks like you finally hit stage five,” said Hange. 

“Excuse me?” snapped Levi.

“The five stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance” explained Hange, softly as she left down the bag of sugar. “Some people move through them faster than others, like Erwin for example” she finished. Erwin sighed. 

“I had too. I could not stop, or this place would stop” he sighed. Levi could her a touch of pain in Erwin’s voice. Levi placed a hand on the inside of his left bicep. He rubbed at the spot with his thumb. Erwin was right. He could not stop. He had learned to cope before, he could do it again. 

“Levi, do you want to run the pass tonight?” asked Mike. Levi took a deep breath. This might help and there was only one way to find out. 

“Yeah Mike, I need too” replied the chef, sombrely. It was time to start the healing process.


	6. Chapter six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there everyone! Sorry about the delay on this chapter. I was away for a week with my partner. Thank you for all the lovely kudos and bookmarks. :) This chapter is a little on the short side. It was meant to be longer but I made a few changes. This chapter is a little NSFW. If you think I should change the rating from Mature to Explicit, just drop a comment. :) Feedback, kudos and bookmarks are much loved. 
> 
> I don't own attack on titan.   
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter six.  
Eren.

It had been two days since Eren had found Levi’s notebook. In his spare time and between classes, he flicked through the notebook, amazed at Levi’s ideas. 

“Eren, you have to return that notebook!” exclaimed Armin, while they sat around the kitchen table. 

“I will but I want to try one or two ideas from this before I return it” grinned Eren, holding up the notebook. Armin snatched the book out of his hand. 

“Hey, be careful with that” cried out Eren. Armin rolled his eyes and he began to read the page that Eren had been reading. His eyes grew wide and his jaw fell slack. 

“You do realise the ingredients for this idea would cost us our entire weekly budget if not more,” said Armin weakly, as he set down the book. 

“Yeah, but think about it. We eat like kings for one night” grinned Eren, rubbing his hands together. 

“Eren, this guy sounds like a pro. Like there were mentions of saffron and truffle oil. That stuff is not cheap” said Armin. 

“Google just told me that saffron is more expensive than gold” piped up Mikasa, from her spot on the sofa. Eren looked down. He could feel himself deflating and getting angry. 

“Would you two do me a favour and just shut the hell up?” he snapped at the pair. 

“Eren!” exclaimed Armin and Mikasa together. 

“What? Every time I get an idea or my hopes up, you two come along and piss on my parade” snapped Eren, jabbing a finger at each of them. 

“Eren, we are being realists” replied Armin. 

“And we don’t want you pissing away one hundred dollars of our food budget on 0.035 ounces of saffron” added Mikasa, as she sat up straighter on the sofa. 

“Wow, that is expensive” commented Armin. 

“Can’t you two just back me up for once?” yelled Eren. The apartment went silent. The only sounds were Eren’s deep breaths in and out of his nose. 

“Jesus, stop yelling. I could hear you yelling all the way down the hall” yelled Jean as he stormed into the apartment. 

“You kinda defeated the purpose,” said Mikasa, flatly. 

“Jean, help us talk some sense into Eren” pleaded Armin. 

“What does he want to do now?” groaned Jean, kicking off his shoes. 

“He wants to blow our food budget out the window, so he can make something from this book” explained Armin. 

“Eren Jaeger, your sister planned that food budget meticulously, so we could afford this place, not starve to death and have beers. Now apologise” snapped Jean.

“Like hell, I will” snapped Eren. 

“What the hell is this stupid book anyway?” asked Jean, as he swiped the notebook off the table. He flicked open the front cover. He read the page and burst out laughing. 

“What’s so funny, horse face?” growled Eren. 

“This belongs to Levi Ackerman” howled Jean. 

“You know him?” asked Mikasa. 

“He is the cranky short ass chef that runs the kitchen in Maria. Where did you get this?” laughed Jean, as he collapsed into an armchair. 

“He left it in 104th” replied Eren. 

“If he finds out you have this, you better fake your death, burn this place to the ground, change your identity, settle with seals in the Arctic circle and pray he doesn’t find you” explained Jean.

“What’s he like?” asked Eren. He was curious. 

“I think I just explained…” said Jean. 

“No, as a chef” clarified Eren.

“Oh, the guy is a genius. He comes up with some of the best things I have ever eaten in my life. Rumour has it, that women will come up to him when he is on his way into work and offer him a blowjob in exchange for a table reservation” explained Jean. 

“You ate his food?” questioned Eren, feeling slightly jealous. 

“Well, I work there. They feed us lunch” replied Jean. 

“Can you bring a plate of something home?” asked Eren. 

“No, I don’t want to lose my job!” exclaimed Jean. 

“You could seriously lose your job if you did?” asked Armin. Jean nodded. 

“Yeah, it’s in our contracts. Ackerman is very protective of his recipes” replied Jean. Eren sighed and ran his fingers through his dark hair. 

“Eren, please. Focus on your degree first and when you are done, you can cook all you want” begged Mikasa. Eren looked at his sister. He could see the tears starting to form in her grey eyes. He hated seeing Mikasa upset like this. 

“Alright, Mikasa. I will” he said, bowing his head in defeat. Mikasa smiled. 

“Thank you” she whispered. 

“All right, we are all best friends again. Let’s have a party to celebrate” announced Jean, jumping up from his chair. He opened the fridge and pulled out a beer. 

“Eren, Armin” he tossed a beer to each of them. 

“Thanks, dude” Eren twisted the screw cap off and took a gulp of beer. He savoured the hoppy taste on his tongue. 

“I just sent out a group text to the usual crew,” said Mikasa, as she cleared up her textbooks. 

“I call dibs on the shower” yelped Eren, jumping to his feet. “Here, Armin, my gift to you” he added, sliding his bottle across the table to Armin. 

“Gosh, thanks, Eren,” said Armin, rolling his eyes as he caught the bottle. Eren scooped up his books and Levi’s notebook. He went to his room. He dumped his books on his desk and carefully placed Levi’s notebook down on his pillow. He picked up his dark blue towel and made his way to the bathroom. He locked the door behind him. He turned on the shitty shower. It had two settings; Satan’s piss and icy waterfall. He stripped out of his baggy t-shirt and skinny jeans. He tested the water. It was scalding hot, just the way he liked it. Eren stepped in and shut the shower behind him. He sighed with relief as the water hit his skin. He picked up his shampoo. It was apple scented. He lied and told the cashier, it was for his sister when the old sod eyed him with disapproval. He washed his hair. Next came the odd part of the routine. He shut off the shower and massaged his conditioner into his hair. He picked up his loofa and minty body wash. He scrubbed his body down. As Eren scrubbed his mind began to wander. His thoughts drifted to the enigmatic chef. 

“I’d give my left testicle to taste something prepared by him,” he thought. He remembered Levi’s voice. It was deep, silky and smooth. He tried to imagine Levi saying his name. Eren’s eyes flickered shut and he pictured Levi. He imagined himself and the chef cooking together. He sighed at the thought of Levi guiding his hands, as they chopped vegetables. 

“Eren” whispered Levi, as he pushed his hips closer to Eren’s ass. Eren squirmed as he could imagine Levi’s breath ghosting across the nape of his neck and his arms encircling him. A loud thumping filled Eren’s head. His eyes snapped open. 

“Hurry up, Jaeger. You have been in there for twenty minutes. Quit hogging all the hot water” yelled Jean. 

“Five minutes or around that” called Eren, in response. Eren turned back on the water. He looked down and groaned. His manhood was at full mast. 

“Ah, shit” he cursed. He could not leave the bathroom, sporting an erection. He had a modestly sized manhood. It was not small, but it was not huge. He could not face his housemates if they saw it poking out his towel, like a tent. Praying the water would mask any moans that slipped out, he gently fisted his manhood and began to pump. He closed his eyes and began to conjure up images of Levi. Pleasure began to course through his veins as he pictured Levi’s hand instead of his own, running up and down his length. He swore he could feel Levi peppering kisses along his neck and collarbone. Eren’s pleasure spiked as he ran his thumb over the head of his manhood. He let out a choked moan. He gasped loudly as he felt his orgasm coming. He bit down on his hand to muffle a loud moan as his release shot out. Leaning back against the tiles, Eren panted. He needed that. He shut off the water and got out of the shower. He dried his body and hair before wrapping his towel around his waist. 

“Shower’s free” he called as he left the bathroom. He entered the room he shared with Armin. He picked up Levi’s notebook. He set down on his desk, so he would not get it wet. He finished drying off. He glanced over at Levi’s notebook. One of the pages had the corner folded down. He picked up the book and flicked it open to the page. It was the most recent entry. 

“Confit duck with salad” it read. He read through Levi’s notes on the dish. It seemed complex to Eren. 

“Something extra needed” was scrawled at the bottom of the page in a neat cursive handwriting. There was a loud knock on the door.

“Hey Eren, you nearly ready? We could use a hand with cleaning the apartment before everyone gets here” called Armin, through the door. Eren jumped up. 

“Yeah, just getting dressed” replied Eren. He placed the notebook on his pillow. He got dressed in a short-sleeved black shirt and grey skinny jeans. He did not care what people thought of him walking down the street. His ass looked fantastic in these jeans. He left the room and joined Armin and Mikasa in getting the place ready for the long-awaited party.


	7. Chapter seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Sorry about the delay on this chapter. Work was all over the place and my brain was not functioning like a normal brain so getting this out was a challenge. I would like to thank everyone for all the feedback, bookmarks and kudos. It warms my heart and helped me through the little patch! :) As always, I do not own Attack on Titan or any of the characters. This is not beta'd.
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter seven.  
Eren.

“Hey, we’re here” announced Sasha as she and her roommate, Connie, followed Armin into the apartment. 

“Hi, guys” responded Eren and Jean, from the sofa. 

“Can I put these in the cooler?” asked Connie, as he held up a case of beers. 

“Yeah, the cooler is beside the fridge” replied Armin. Connie set to work on chilling the beers. 

“Here, I also brought gifts” smiled Sasha as she handed a shopping bag of potato chips and dipping sauces to Mikasa. 

“Thank you,” said Mikasa, as she set up some plates for food. The doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” she said. Mikasa left the kitchen. Chatter filled the apartment. A girly squeal filled the room. 

“Hey guys” squealed Krista as she bounced into the room, her girlfriend Ymir, was hot on her heels. 

“You’re very excited” observed Armin. 

“I am celebrating” she cheered as she produced a bottle of cheap champagne from her oversized handbag. 

“What are you celebrating?” asked Eren, as he sipped his beer. 

“I just landed a job as the Hostess at Maria” she replied. 

“We’ll be working together” exclaimed Jean. 

“Yep. Totes excited” smiled Krista. 

“Thank God. I was getting sick of that hostess stand” 

“You were a hostess?” laughed Eren. 

“I was covering until Erwin got a new one” yelled Jean, jumping to his feet. 

“Guys, let’s take it easy. We don’t need a noise complaint” said Armin. 

“Hey everyone. This is Marco” called Mikasa, as she returned to the group. A tall man with short black hair and freckles was following her. 

“Hi there,” he smiled as he gave a small wave. Eren glanced over at Jean. He was standing still, as though frozen in time. His eyes were wide with surprise. Eren stood up and made his way over to Mikasa. 

“Hey Mika, can I talk to you for a second, in private?” he asked, in a low whisper. He prayed no one heard him. Mikasa nodded and they left the room. Once they were safely out of earshot, Eren began to question her. 

“What is up with Jean and who is that guy?” he asked. 

“That’s Marco. He is in some of my classes. I, also, have a theory that Jean is gay” she explained. Eren nearly burst out laughing. 

“Jean? Gay? No way?” he chuckled. 

“Have you ever heard Jean talk about women?” 

“Well, no”

“Have you ever noticed his eyes linger on men?” 

“Mikasa, seriously, how do you even notice something like that?” 

“I can safely say by the end of this party, Jean and Marco will have exchanged numbers” stated Mikasa. 

“Whoa. What makes you so confident?” asked Eren, feeling slightly amused. 

“Marco is the opposite of Jean. He will be the yin to Jean’s yang” she explained. 

“You sound super confident” grinned Eren. 

“I will bet on it” smirked Mikasa. 

“Ten bucks and two nights of dishes” suggested Eren. 

“Deal” and they shook hands. She and Eren returned to the party. To Eren’s dismay, Jean and Marco were sitting on the sofa, chatting with each other. Their knees were just millimetres apart. 

“That doesn’t prove anything” snapped Eren as Mikasa chuckled. She left him fuming, slightly.

“How is work going Eren?” asked Krista. 

“Going good. Hours suck but the pay is okay for what it is” he replied, sipping his beer. “You excited to start your new job?” he asked. Krista nodded, her big blue eyes sparkling. 

“You bet I am. You know how much I love to help people” she smiled. 

“That is very true” grinned Eren. The group dissolved into chatter about life and college. 

XOX

“So, Marco, where are you from?” asked Eren. Himself, Mikasa, Armin, Jean and Marco had formed their own group. 

“I’m from a small town about an hour away from Trost” he smiled.

“And you have the same classes as Mikasa” clarified Eren. 

“Yeah, she invited me along. She noticed I always sat alone in the library” explained Marco, a slight dusting of blush crossing his freckled cheeks. 

“That’s our Mikasa. She is a proper mother hen” grinned Jean. Eren stifled a giggle. Jean was slightly tipsy. Another few beers and he would be dancing on a table. 

“So, Jean, what are you studying in college?” asked Marco.

“Oh me. I study biomedical engineering” replied Jean. 

“Wow. You must be really smart” declared Marco. 

“I kind of have a knack for science and stuff like that. Armin is the smart one around here. He does Law” explained Jean, blushing. Eren nearly choked on his swig of beer. 

“Jean is being modest, for once” he whispered to Mikasa. 

“Told you” smirked Mikasa, sipping her whiskey. “Give it another hour and they will be exchanging numbers” she predicted. 

“Dude, you’re a Firefly fan” gushed Jean. 

“Well yeah. It’s really fun to watch and I was a little upset when they cancelled it” replied Marco, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Did you know Marco liked Firefly?” asked Eren, looking to Mikasa. 

“Maybe” she answered. 

“Hey Sasha, stop hogging all the chilli dip” yelped Connie at his roommate. 

“I bought two jars; one for me and one for everyone else” retorted Sasha, through a mouthful of chips and dip. 

“You’re a pain” groaned Connie, shaking his head. 

“That’s what happens when you move in with the bottomless pit” commented Armin. 

“I know. I had to buy a padlock for my snack cupboard just to keep my gummy bears safe” sighed Connie. 

“You’re exaggerating” laughed Sasha. 

“Like hell, I am” retorted, Connie. The group laughed at Connie’s dismay. Eren flopped onto the sofa beside Armin. He threw an arm around his longtime best friend. 

“This is the life, Armin” he grinned. “Acing college, working hard” 

“Or hardly working” joked Armin. Eren playfully punched Armin’s shoulder. 

“Oh God, I’ve been shot” cried Armin, in mock anguish as he comically pretended to faint. 

“Drama queen” snickered Eren. 

“If I am a drama queen, then you are a full-fledged diva” sassed Armin, as he came back to life. Eren laughed. Armin was the first person he had come out too, at the tender age of sixteen. Himself, Armin and Mikasa were in the same foster home. When they were ten years old, a fire in a local community hall had killed Armin’s parents and Eren’s mother. Grisha, Eren’s father, had walked out a few months prior. He was never seen again. Mikasa’s parents were murdered when she was eight years old in a botched robbery. The men were trying to rob the shop her parents owned. Her father interrupted the robbery and they shot him. Her mother heard it happen. She hid Mikasa in a closet and went to check the situation. She met the same fate as her husband. Eren’s parents adopted Mikasa as she had no blood relatives in the area and her and Eren played together. Mr and Mrs Ackerman were on excellent terms with the Jaegers, so it made sense. The trio remained together through thick and thin, and Mikasa made sure of that. She was the mother hen. No matter what, Mikasa made sure they had had enough food and had eaten properly. Eren stood up to the bullies in the foster home who tried to pick on Armin. It was normal for him to have a split lip and black eye every week. Armin was the smart one. He tutored Eren and Mikasa all night, every night, just to ensure they all made it to the same college and would not be separated again. It was an odd family dynamic, but it worked. 

“Hey Armin” 

“Yes, Eren?”

“Did I ever thank you for all the shit you have done for me?” asked Eren.

“How much have you had to drink?” sighed the blonde. 

“What? Why? Maybe like four or five beers” exclaimed Eren, in shock. 

“You only get sentimental when you’re drunk” stated Armin.

“I am not drunk” cried Eren.

“Say the alphabet backwards” challenged Armin, grinning widely. 

“Only genii like you can do that” retorted Eren, folding his arms. Armin laughed. 

“You must be sober. You would have attempted it if you were drunk and you also used the correct plural of genius” he chuckled.

“Jerk” sniffed Eren, wiping fake tears from his eyes. 

“And yes, you thank me all the time. Drunk or sober” confirmed Armin, throwing an arm around Eren. 

“Hey, guys! I really don’t want to be the party pooper but it’s two thirty in the morning” called Mikasa. 

“What? Already? Oh, Shit?” responded everyone in the apartment. 

“Right, see you guys in college” called Ymir. She left the apartment, carrying Krista bridal style. The poor girl’s celebrating got a little out of hand and she drank way too much. 

“Agreed. Thanks for having us over” smiled Connie as Sasha pulled him from the apartment, as she babbled about a new pizza place near their apartment. The last person to leave was Marco. He and Jean chatted all the way to the door. Eren and Mikasa peered around the doorframe at the pair. Eren’s jaw dropped as he saw Jean hand his phone over to Marco. 

“You owe me ten bucks” whispered Mikasa, as Marco handed the phone back to Jean. He typed something. 

“I just sent you a text, so you have my number now,” said Jean. 

“What’s your timetable like?” asked Marco, rubbing his arm nervously. 

“Pretty hectic, but I am sure I could fit you in for a coffee sometime” replied Jean, grinning. 

“Great. I’ll text you. Bye Jean” smiled Marco.

“Bye Marco” Jean smiled brightly as he shut the door behind Marco. His façade suddenly changed. 

“What are you two doing?” he snapped at Eren and Mikasa. 

“Nothing” yelped Eren, as he stumbled back from the doorframe. 

“You both were spying on me” yelled Jean, as he stormed towards them. 

“Inside voices” called Armin, as he cleared off the coffee table. 

“Mikasa had a theory that you are gay” confessed Eren.

“What? You serious?” asked Jean, looking confused. 

“Yeah, so I invited Marco to see if you two would hit it off” explained Mikasa.

“That’s ludicrous” retorted Jean. 

“Did you both exchange numbers?”

“Well yes”

“Isn’t he a great listener and easy to talk to?” 

“He is, I guess” 

“And doesn’t he have the cutest freckles?” 

“Oh yes, they are adorable…... Oh God damn” Jean’s eyes were wide as realisation hit him like a ton of bricks. Eren and Mikasa laughed at a flustered Jean. 

“I am going to bed. Goodnight” he sang, dramatically as he made his way to his room. 

“Agreed. That sounds like a good idea” said Mikasa, going to her own room. Armin put a bag of rubbish in the bin. 

“The rest can wait until the morning” he sighed, yawning. Eren nodded. With everyone gone, he started to feel tired. They proceeded to go to their own room. Armin cleverly set up a large white sheet attached to a hook, which could be pulled over to divide the room in two. Armin pulled the sheet over, so they had privacy to change. Eren stripped off his jeans and t-shirt. He jumped into bed and covered himself up. 

“All done” he announced. Armin pulled back the sheet. He was wearing his Star Wars t-shirt and black track pants. Eren could not figure out how Armin could sleep in a t-shirt and pants all year round. 

“Armin, sorry about yelling at you earlier,” said Eren.

“It’s okay. You’re a passionate person” replied Armin as he flicked off the light and got into bed. 

“Still, I really want to try one of Levi’s recipes” sighed Eren. 

“Tell you what, let’s save up and the four of us can go for a lunch in Maria” compromised Armin.

“That sounds like a great idea. It's a deal” grinned Eren. 

“Anyways, I am going to sleep now. Goodnight Eren” yawned Armin, as he rolled over and made himself comfortable. 

“Night Armin” yawned Eren. He rolled over onto his side. Closing his eyes, Eren sighed as he welcomed dreams of cooking and Levi.


	8. Chapter eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. I had a couple days off work so I figured I would stick up a new chapter! :) Thank you for all the kudos, bookmarks and hits! It means the world to me! If anyone has any thoughts or questions, I am on Tumblr. Also, sorry if Mikasa seems about OOC in this chapter. I don't own attack on titan and this work is not beta'd.
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter eight.  
Levi.

Four days. Four fucking days. This was the longest Levi had been ever separated from his beloved notebook. He walked down the street on his way to work. He stopped outside 104th. Success. The two staff that were working the day he lost his notebook were there. He had avoided going to the café for the last few days as he wanted to catch the necessary pair. Levi inhaled deeply, and he entered the café. The staff looked up from their tasks. 

“Welcome to 104th” they greeted him in unison. 

“How can we help you?” asked the black-haired girl. The green-eyed barista was watching him, his eyes were filled with curiosity. Levi coughed to clear his throat and walked to the counter. 

“Did anyone hand in a small black notebook? I think I may have left mine here a few days ago” he explained, getting straight to the point. 

“Nope” answered the male barista. Levi’s eyes narrowed. That kid answered far too quick for his taste. 

“Let me go check the lost and found,” said the girl. She set down a milk jug and walked to the back area. Levi and the barista were left alone. Levi could see the other man fidgeting with a knob on the coffee machine. The silence was roaring in Levi’s ears. 

“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” blurted out the barista. Levi shook his head. He began to examine the artwork on the walls. Some of the paintings were new. They were pictures of giant walls, surrounding a city. 

“I took your advice” exclaimed the barista. Levi looked around and raised an eyebrow. 

“About the sauce. I asked the owner for the measurements for it. I taste as I go” explained the young man. 

“Good. You’re welcome” said Levi. 

“Levi, is it?” asked the girl as she returned to the floor. 

“Yes, it is” he replied. 

“Here’s your notebook,” she said, handing it to him. 

“Thank you” he nodded. He flicked through the notebook, to ensure all his ideas were there. All was intact. He tucked his notebook into his messenger bag. 

“You’re welcome” replied the girl. Levi turned to leave but paused mid-step. He turned back. 

“I think I will have a Jasmin and Lavender tea. To go” announced Levi, as he pulled his wallet from his bag. 

“No problem” replied the girl as she rang it up and gave Levi his change. “Eren, will you take care of that?” she asked. 

“Sure” 

“So, Eren. That’s his name” thought Levi to himself. For some odd reason that Levi could not put his finger on, he was in no hurry to leave the small café. He found his eyes lingering on Eren, as he made the tea. 

“Everything okay?” asked Eren, as he set the takeaway cup on the counter. Levi pulled himself back to reality. 

“Yes, it is, Brat” snapped Levi. Eren’s eyes widened as though Levi had slapped him. The chef cocked an eyebrow as Eren’s bright green eyes narrowed and darkened. 

“You got your fucking notebook back. Can you at least pretend to be happy?” snapped Eren, his voice tainted with venom. A loud bang filled the café. The girl had dropped the stainless-steel milk jug, she had been polishing. Her face was filled with horror. 

“I am so sorry for that. You see, my brother is an idiot” babbled the girl. 

“Mikasa” groaned Eren. 

“I am so sorry. Here” continued Mikasa, clearly ignoring Eren. Levi stood there. He was both shocked and amused by the situation, as Mikasa popped the till drawer and counted out some change. 

“Here, it’s your money back,” she said, holding out the change. 

“Keep it,” said Levi. Mikasa was clearly blowing things out of proportion. Maybe, her brother really was a simpleton. 

“Please, just take the money and don’t tell Hannes” she begged. 

“Mikasa quit it” groaned Eren, headbutting the coffee machine. 

“Who is Hannes?” questioned Levi, feeling more confused now. 

“He’s the owner. He said if Eren got one more customer complaint against him, he would be fired” explained Mikasa, her eyes were filled with worry. 

“Mikasa, will you shut up?” moaned Eren. “Stop airing the dirty laundry and I don’t need the pity party” he finished. Levi paused to think. There was something deeper going on here, but he could not figure it out. 

“Sir, we live with two of our friends. You might know one of them. His name is Jean Kirstein. We mentioned the notebook at home one evening and he said you both work in Maria” began Mikasa. 

“You live with horse face?” exclaimed Levi. He quickly reigned himself in. That sort of outburst was unusual for him. Eren burst out laughing. 

“See, I told you Jean looks like a horse” he laughed. Mikasa clipped Eren around the ear and silenced him. Levi coughed to cover a laugh. 

“Right now, things are super tight with money and we really can’t afford to be down an income” explained Mikasa. 

“Alright, I get it. You guys have it rough” replied Levi. Mikasa’s grey eyes widened. 

“You’re not going to complain?” 

“No, I know what it’s like to be completely broke. So, put that money back in the till and we will forget about the whole thing” replied the chef. 

“Oh, thank you so much” cried Mikasa, bowing her head. She gave Eren an elbow into the ribs. 

“Ouch. Mikasa. Oh yeah, thanks, dude” sputtered Eren, massaging the spot. Levi nodded. 

“No problem. Don’t mention it to horse face” said Levi, turning on his heel and walking to the door. 

“Have a nice day” called Mikasa. Levi stopped. He looked down at a table and wiped his fingertips across it. He pulled his fingertips up to his eyes for inspection. 

“This table is filthy” announced the chef, grabbing the door and pulling it open. 

“Motherfucker” yelled Eren, as the door swung closed behind Levi. 

XOX

Levi glanced down at his watch. It was just gone three o clock; Dinner service did not start until five o clock. He decided to walk to work. Sipping on his tea, Levi felt a lot more at ease now that he had his notebook back. The street was crowded. The crowd jostled him around once or twice. He stopped at the pedestrian crossing, just behind a young couple. 

“Oh babe, you are so romantic” gushed the woman.

“Oh darling, it was nothing. Your mother is a wonderful person” smiled the man. 

“Tsk” Levi felt slightly disgusted at the sight. He had no time for romance. When the light turned green, Levi forced his way around the couple and crossed the street. His mind wandered back to the café. His thoughts were invaded by Eren, the person responsible for the tea in his hand. Levi’s tongue snaked out to moisten his lips. In his short time at the café, Levi had taken note of Eren’s features. His hair was the colour and had the shine of tempered chocolate. Eren’s eyes shone with a bright sea green hue. Levi noticed Eren’s body was long and lean. He wondered if Eren’s body was as supple as it looked. Levi quickly shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts. 

“Tsk, you’re at least a decade older than him,” thought Levi. “Best forget that kid.” He drained the takeaway cup and dumped it in a trash can. He rounded the corner and sighed. He had reached Maria. He took a deep breath and entered the restaurant. 

“Hi there. Welcome to Maria” Levi looked around to the hostess stand. There stood a petite blonde girl with bright blue eyes, which seemed too big for her head. Levi approached the girl. 

“Who are you?” he asked, curtly. The girl looked taken aback for a moment but recovered quickly. 

“I am Krista Lenz, Sir. I am the new hostess” she smiled, brightly. Levi stopped. This is who Erwin felt was right to replace Petra. Levi clenched his fist and bit the inside of his bottom lip. 

“And may I ask, who might you be?” questioned the hostess. 

“Levi” he replied, sharply. Krista flinched as though his tongue sliced through her like a sword. “Where’s Eyebrows?” he asked.

“Uh, I don’t know who that is” admitted the hostess. Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Eyebrows is the person who hired you” he shot back. 

“Oh, you mean Mr Smith” 

“Yes, I do” 

“He is in his office with Mr Zackly” she replied. Levi nodded and turned on his heels. 

“Mr Smith requested not to be disturbed while Mr Zackly is here” cried out the hostess as Levi walked to the office. Levi ignored her and knocked on the door. 

“Come in” called Erwin. Levi opened the door and stepped in. 

“Erwin,” he said, closing the door. “Good afternoon, Mr Zackly” he added, remembering to be polite to the man who controlled Maria. 

“Ah, good day to you too Levi” boomed Zackly. 

“I was just discussing some idea for the menu changes with Mr Zackly” explained Erwin. 

“Erwin was saying you had some wonderful ideas” added Zackly. Levi coughed and cleared his throat. 

“Yes, I have some ideas in the works, but they are not fully formed yet,” he said. 

“Let’s hear them,” said Zackly. 

“With all due respect, I would prefer to finish the dishes rather than give you half a dish” replied Levi, as politely as he could manage. He never like Zackly. In his own opinion, he felt Zackly was a waste of oxygen and Levi had no idea how he had got the job of overseeing the running of three restaurants. Zackly slapped Erwin’s desk and let out a booming laugh. 

“Oh, Levi. You haven’t changed a bit. Still as stubborn and tight-lipped as ever” he laughed. Levi grimaced as he saw some spit fly out of Zackly’s mouth and land on the desk. Levi bit the inside of his lip as he had to fight the urge to clean and disinfect the whole desk. 

“Fine. Erwin give me a call when you have a new menu ready. I will have a budget ready for you then” said Zackly, standing up and throwing his large black coat on over his tailored suit. 

“You won’t be disappointed” smiled Erwin. 

“Good day, gentlemen” replied Zackly, as he left slamming the door shut behind him. Erwin’s pleasant façade fell away. 

“You couldn’t humour him, could you?” he asked dryly, running a hand through his blonde hair. Levi pulled a tissue from a box on Erwin’s desk. He produced a small bottle of hand sanitiser from his bag. 

“No, I couldn’t” replied Levi, as he cleaned the spot where Zackly’s spit had landed. Erwin scowled. 

“If that stains my desk…” 

“It won’t,” said Levi, throwing the tissue in the bin beside Erwin’s desk. He sat down. “I found my notebook” 

“Good. Now get cracking on those ideas” 

“I have hit a brick wall with them” 

“Oh, for the love of Maria….” 

“We have plenty of time” 

“In the meantime, Zackly wants us to judge a cooking contest” smirked Erwin. 

“Tsk, are you serious?” asked Levi. 

“As a heart attack. There is no getting out this one, Levi. First prize is a cooking lesson with you” Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Make that a spot prize and give it to the worst contestant,” said Levi, standing up. 

“Why?” asked Erwin. 

“If they can win a contest, they don’t need a cooking lesson” explained Levi, as he left the room. He strolled into the staff changing room. He changed into his chef’s blacks and covered his hair with a dark blue and white bandana. He put his clothes and bag into his locker. He retrieved his knife bag and notebook. He closed his locker and made his way to the kitchen. 

“Hi, Levi” snorted Mike. 

“Mike, how are we going with prep?” 

“We are an hour ahead of usual. Should be done shortly” replied the taller chef. 

“Good. Where did Erwin put those ducks? I feel like experimenting today. Can you call me when service starts?” asked Levi, walking to the storeroom. He had found his notebook, it was time to find himself.


	9. Chapter nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Another day, another chapter. Thank you all so much for the bookmarks and kudos! I feel like I have reached a milestone of over 1000 hits! It feels amazing and I would like to thank you all for the support. :) Feedback is greatly appreciated and this story is not beta'd. Also, I have a tag for this story on Tumblr. It's fic:tss. 
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter nine.  
Eren.

“That’s it for today’s class. The assignment will be uploaded to the online classroom at five pm today. You will have to complete it and log the results in by six pm on Friday. Have a nice week” finished the lecturer. Eren sighed as he packed away his textbooks and notebooks. 

“Don’t these lecturers ever speak to each other” he grumbled to himself. It was a Monday afternoon. He was finished for the day and had a few hours off before he had to go to work. The three previous lecturers had all given assignments. He might as well hit the library for a few hours and try to get a head start on the assignment. The Maths one was going to be the death of him. Eren left the lecture hall and joined the crowd of people that shuffled down the hallway towards the exit. He hated being in large crowds, especially in the narrow corridors. His phone pulsing in his pocket brought him out of a slight daydream. Pulling the device from the pocket of his skinny jeans, Eren unlocked the screen to see a text from Mikasa. He opened it. His stomach did a backflip and he had to stop walking to steady himself. The crowd bounced off him. The text message contained one word. 

“Shadis” it read. 

“Where?” he typed. He sent the message. His mind began to race. What was his old social worker doing here? The phone pinged with a reply. 

“University café. Can you come?” Mikasa’s texts were always short and straight to the point. 

“Sure” he replied. Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, Eren dry scrubbed his face with one hand. He began to move with the crowd again. This day could not get any worse for him, even if it tried. 

Xox

Eren arrived at the university café. He propped himself against the wall, wheezing slightly. He added joining the free gym to the to-do list. The short jog across campus nearly killed him. Looking in the door, he saw Mikasa sitting at a table with a tall, skinny, bald man. Keith Shadis, the man that handled their case, as well as Armin’s case. A couple of girls left the café. Eren grabbed the door and slipped into the café. It was now empty inside, aside from themselves and a bored looking barista.

“Hello, Mr Shadis,” said Eren, as he left his bag down on the floor and pulled up a chair beside Mikasa. He sat down.

“Hello, Eren. It’s good to see you” replied Shadis. Eren began to wonder why the social worker was here. They owed him a lot. After the fire, Shadis made recommendations that he, Mikasa and Armin be kept together, for Eren’s sake. The last time, they saw Shadis was on Armin’s eighteenth birthday. He had dropped the teenager off at their apartment and did a little check-up. Once satisfied, he was gone and out of their lives. Until now. 

“What brings you here?” asked Mikasa, skipping all the small talk. Shadis placed his briefcase on the table and opened it. He produced a slim brown folder and placed it down. He returned the briefcase to the floor. Eren could feel his leg started to bounce. He was slowly growing impatient. 

“It’s your father, Eren. We found him” explained Shadis. His voice was low. Eren’s world stopped for a moment. The sound of the coffee grinder faded away. He could see Shadis’ lips moving but could not hear any sound. A hand on his shoulder restored reality. 

“Eren?” whispered Mikasa. Her hand gently rubbed his shoulder. Eren grasped the table for support. He tried to ground himself in reality. Suddenly, his anxiety was replaced by anger. 

“Where is the bastard? Does he know mom died? Does he even think about me or Mikasa? What was so fucking important that he left us and never came back?” spat Eren, shaking with rage. 

“Eren, I don’t know…” began Shadis. 

“Is he here? I want to punch him for all the shit we went through because he wasn’t there. Come on out, dad” cried Eren, slamming his fist onto the table. He could feel years of tears building up in his eyes. 

“Eren, he’s dead,” said Shadis. Eren stopped. He looked at Shadis, in disbelief. 

“What?” 

“Your father is dead” repeated the social worker. Eren slumped back, reeling from the news. His father, Grisha, was dead. 

“How?” asked Mikasa. Her hand had reached down to grasp Eren’s hand. Shadis opened the folder and cleared his throat with a cough. 

“First off, tracking your father was not an easy task. We found him over two thousand miles around from here. We traced him to a hospital and the hospital staff filled in the blanks. About six months after his disappearance, he arrived at this hospital and volunteered in their research department. With his credentials, the hospital staff agreed, and he began working there. A few months prior to his arrival, there was an outbreak of a disease. When the infected victims received a blood injury, they were overcome with a cannibalistic rage. They became known as “Shifters.” A local gang had a highly addictive drug known as “Titan’s bane” which controlled the symptoms. It was lethal in high doses and it was only a brief fix as a few hours later the rage would return” explained Shadis. 

“What had this got to do with him?” scoffed Eren, rolling his eyes. Mikasa squeezed his hand. Shadis looked at him with a long hard stare. 

“Your father was trying to develop a cure. He was making great progress and was on the verge of a breakthrough when he was murdered by the gang” finished Shadis, as he closed the folder. 

“How long has he been dead?” asked Eren, quietly. He was hovering between sorrow and anger. 

“Around eight years. The hospital staff had no idea Grisha had a family. He listed no next of kin on his file” 

“I can’t believe I hated him” whispered Mikasa. Eren looked at his sister. A single tear stained each of her cheeks. Anger began to brew inside him. He hated seeing Mikasa cry. 

“It’s understandable. You were both so young when he left and you both grew up through the hardest time of your lives without a father figure” 

“Where is he buried?” asked Mikasa. 

“In the hospital cemetery. Since we have a next of kin now, the hospital has offered to exhume Grisha’s remains and fly them here, to be buried with Carla” explained Shadis. The single thread holding back Eren’s anger snapped. His father left his mother in life. Like hell, he would be with her in death. 

“Leave him there” snapped Eren. 

“Eren, we need to think about this” pleaded Mikasa, as her grip on his hand tightened. Eren wrenched his hand free. 

“I have thought about this. If that fucking hospital was so important, he can stay there” seethed Eren, grabbing his bag and standing up. 

“Mr Shadis, help” begged Mikasa. Shadis remained silent. He just glared at Eren. 

“I have to go. Hannes needs me to cover his ass for an hour or two” said Eren, as he swung his bag onto his shoulder. 

“Eren, wait” cried Mikasa. Eren ignored her as he stormed from the café, slamming the door behind him. 

Xox

“Hey, Eren. Thanks for coming in for me. My ex-wife needs me to take our daughter to the dentist. Can you lock up for me?” asked Hannes, as he put on his long well-worn coat. 

“Sure” replied Eren, as he put on his apron. Hannes paused. 

“Are you alright, kid?” he asked.

“Yeah, just a lot on my mind. College and stuff” lied Eren. Hannes shrugged. 

“If you say so, if it stays this quiet, you can lock up early” 

“Okay” Eren glanced over at Hannes. The older man was watching him. His eyes held a hint of concern. 

“Thanks, Eren, I own ya” called Hannes as he left 104th. Eren sighed. He hated pulling these solo shifts. It got lonely. Right now, he did not care. He needed to be alone. He cleaned down the tables and swept the floor. He glanced at the clock. It was nearly five o clock. He would be finished at six o clock. He wrapped up and cleaned the deli counter. The story of his father ran circles around his brain. 

“Damn it. Fuck off Grisha” he yelled as he punched the stainless-steel inside of the deli counter. 

“Who’s Grisha?” asked a voice. Eren yelled out in surprise and he bounced his head off the door of the fridge. He swore again and stood up, massaging the spot. He froze on the spot. Levi was in the café. 

“Levi?” he gasped. 

“Yeah. Eren, right?” replied the chef. 

“Yes, what can I get for you?” asked Eren. Levi’s brow creased. 

“I hadn’t thought about it” he frowned. 

“Do you need another minute to decided?” asked Eren. 

“No. Do you have any new teas in?” asked Levi. 

“Hannes just got in peppermint tea and gunpowder green tea” 

“Gunpowder green” requested Levi. 

“Sure, here or to go?” 

“Since you look like you want to get the fuck out of here, to go” 

“You can say that again” grumbled Eren, as he started on the tea. After a few moments, Eren looked up to see Levi looking at him intently with piercing steel coloured eyes. 

“What?” yelped Eren. He was unnerved by Levi’s stare. 

“You don’t seem like yourself today”

“I had a long day” Eren returned to making the tea. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

Eren looked up as he snapped the lid onto the takeaway cup. Levi’s expression was unreadable. 

“I barely know you,” he said as he handed over the cup to Levi. Their fingers brushed for a moment. Levi shrugged. 

“Sometimes talking to a stranger is easier than talking to someone you know” pointed out Levi. Eren stopped. Maybe, Levi was right. 

“Can you hold on like twenty minutes while I finish up here?” he asked. 

“I’ll be outside” nodded Levi and he left the café. Eren made light work of cleaning up and cashing up. He was done in ten minutes. Throwing on his coat and bag, he left the café. Levi was standing beside the door. Eren finally stopped and paid attention to Levi. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and black pea coat. A messenger bag was slung over his shoulder. 

“Ready?” asked the chef. Eren nodded and they walked off together. 

Xox

“So, today your former social worker told you that your father, who walked out on you, was killed by a gang because he was developing a cure for a disease” summarised Levi. 

“Yeah, it’s a lot to take in” replied Eren. The pair sat on a park bench, nursing a cup of coffee each. Levi sat back and sighed. 

“You know, you sound like a brat right now” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” challenged Eren. He thought Levi was meant to be a shoulder for him. 

“If I was you, I’d be damn proud to call him my father” 

“He left us” yelled Eren. 

“Calm down, brat. Think of all the people he was trying to help. He was a good man” reasoned, Levi. 

“It doesn’t change the fact he left” shouted Eren. 

“At least you can say you knew your father” spat Levi. Eren stopped. His eye widened in shock.

“Levi, I…” The words failed to come out his mouth. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but the words were lodged behind his Adam’s apple. 

“Save it” snapped Levi. The chef stood up and threw his coffee mug in the bin beside the bench. 

“I’m sorry” gasped Eren. He could not believe this. 

“Do me a favour. Go home and take a fucking long hard look at yourself” snarled Levi, as he turned away from the younger man and walked away, Eren stayed still, absorbing what had just transpired. The word Brat echoed in his ears. He stood up and numbly walked home. 

Xox

Eren praised some higher deity when he got home. The apartment was empty. He left down his bag and kicked off his shoes. On the kitchen table, there were a few notes. 

“Going to a law seminar. Will be back by 9 o clock” read Armin’s note. 

“Got called into work” read Jean’s note. 

“Gone to see Annie. She needs help moving her stuff into her new apartment. Text me when you get home” read Mikasa’s note. Eren sighed. He pulled out his phone and sent Mikasa a text. She replied instantly, telling him that Annie had moved in with that Reiner guy and his roommate, Bertolt. Eren locked his phone screen and flopped down onto the sofa. He dry scrubbed his face. Today was positively the worst day of his life, to date. He found out what happened to his father and then got called a brat for reacting badly to the news. Eren grabbed a pillow and hugged it closed to his chest. 

“What gives Levi the right to get up on a high horse?” grumbled Eren, into the pillow. 

“At least you can say you knew your father” Levi’s words rang in his ears. 

“Huh, maybe his dad died, when he was baby or something” mused Eren. 

“Hello? Anyone home?” called Jean, as he entered the apartment. 

“Yeah, I’m here” announced Eren in response. 

“Hey dude,” said Jean, as he flopped into an armchair. “How are you feeling?” he asked. Eren shrugged and looked at his housemate. The other man looked genuinely concerned. 

“Been better” he replied. 

“Mikasa told me about the meeting with Shadis” 

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine” half smiled Eren, trying to play it all off. Jean rolled his eyes. 

“Remember the way you were complaining that we never support you, well here” Jean opened his rucksack and pulled out a sheet of paper. He slid it across the coffee table to Eren. Eren eyed Jean, feeling confused as he picked up the sheet. He scanned it. 

“A cooking competition?” he asked, puzzled. 

“Yeah. Maria is running it. First prize is a four-course dinner for four in Maria, personally cooked by and from the new menu designed by the asshole of a chef, Levi Ackerman” explained Jean. 

“Whoa, that’s a serious prize,” said Eren, in awe. The conversation he had with the same chef earlier was completely wiped from his brain. He wanted to eat food prepared by the chef. The thoughts of it, nearly had him drooling. 

“Yeah, so get your thinking cap on” 

“What do I have to do?” 

“Jaeger, can’t you fucking read?” 

“Oh, email two recipes; one savoury and one sweet, into Maria. If the ideas are liked, the creator will be called to cook them for Erwin Smith and head chef, Levi Ackerman” read Eren. He flopped back and inhaled deeply. He jumped upright onto his feet. 

“I’ll do it” he proclaimed, punching the air. “I will win us the dinner at Maria” Jean also jumped to his feet. 

“And then, I can tell that chef that he is an asshole and not get in trouble” declared Jean, standing tall and proud. 

“What do you just say?” laughed Eren.

“Ugh, never mind” gushed a red-faced Jean.


	10. Chapter ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry about the delay on this one! Work has been very hectic lately. This was going to be two short chapters but I decided to put them together. Once again, I would like to thank everyone for the lovely kudos and bookmarks. It warms my buns. :) Once again, I don't own attack on titan and feedback is always appreciated. Please enjoy! 
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter ten.   
Levi. 

Levi stared at the plate of food in front of him. It was half eaten. What the fuck was going on? A nervous-looking waitress stood on the other side of the pass. 

“What did they say?” he asked, softly. The waitress winced. She mumbled something. 

“Excuse me, what did they say?” repeated Levi, louder this time. 

“They said it didn’t taste like your usual food. It’s missing something” said the waitress, timidly. Levi rested his palms on the warm bench to support himself. In the six years, he had been head chef at Maria, he only had a dozen or, so plates sent back. He was able to write those plates off as people who did not know what a rare steak was or people who thought they were culinary experts but knew sweet fuck all. This plate was different. He felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Tonight, Erwin decided to allow samples of the new menu to go out. The dish sent back was the duck dish. 

“Did they ask for something else?” he questioned, as he picked up the plate. 

“Yes, they would like a pan seared tuna” answered the waitress. 

“Mike, I need one tuna on the fly” called Levi. 

“Understood, Levi!” replied the taller chef. 

“Sir?” queried the waitress.

“What is it?” asked Levi. 

“I don’t know if this will help but the customer said the food did taste nice. It was just missing something, and they couldn’t put their finger on it” she explained. Levi nodded. He glanced at the docket rail. There were two tables on it. 

“Are there any more tables to order?” he asked 

“No, Sir. All tables are on desserts except for them two” responded the waitress. 

“Mike, once that tuna goes out, take over the pass. I need five minutes” said Levi. 

“No problem” snorted Mike. Levi left the pass. He stopped by the waste bin and looked at the plate of food in his hand. Biting the inside of his lower lip, Levi dumped the food, plate and all, into the bin. The chef felt numb as he made his way to the staff room. He opened his locker and took out his black converse and coat. Changing from his kitchen shoes to converse, Levi prayed he would be left alone for five minutes. He put on his coat and patted the pocket to ensure his cigarettes were there. He quickly made his way to the back entrances. All the staff went for sneaky cigarette breaks there. A blast of cold air greeted Levi, as he stepped outside and shut the door behind him. He shivered slightly, as he popped a cigarette between his lips and lit it. He stood in silence, slowly smoking. 

“You know, those things will stunt your growth” 

“What is it, Hange?” 

“Mike said you left the kitchen. So, I came out here to see if you were ok” replied the pastry chef. Levi took a long drag of his cigarette and exhaled. 

“I had a plate of food sent back tonight,” he said.

“Really?” 

“Yeah, it was the duck dish” he explained. 

“Are you shitting me?” exclaimed Hange. 

“Nope.” Levi pulled another drag from his cigarette and exhaled. 

“Are they missing their tongues?” she asked. Levi looked at the other chef. Her eyes were wide, and jaw was slack. 

“They are eating in a restaurant, so you tell me” he scoffed. Hange pulled her coat tighter around her. 

“Levi, we are all worried about you,” she said, softly. Levi looked away and dropped his cigarette into the ashtray at his feet. He turned and walked towards the door. 

“Levi, you need to talk to us” begged Hange. Levi stopped. His fingertips just brushed the door handle. He could feel anger start to boil under his skin. He turned and glared at Hange. 

“Listen here, shitty glasses. I just want to be left alone. Why can’t you get that through your thick skull?” he snapped. 

“Levi!” cried Hange. Levi grabbed the door handle and jerked it open. He stormed inside, slamming the door closed behind him. Waitresses and waiters bolted in the opposite direction, as he stormed passed them to the staff room. It was empty. Levi inhaled deeply and slammed his fist into one of the locker doors.

“Fuck” he swore, as he cradled his hand. Bright red blood seeped out of the grazes on his knuckles. 

“Levi!” snapped a voice. Levi groaned internally. 

“What is it, Erwin?” he growled, turning to face the restaurant manager. 

“Just because you are having a shit day, does not give you the right to take it out on Hange” lectured Erwin. 

“You wouldn’t know a shit day, even if it slapped those eyebrows right off your face” sneered Levi. Internally, he was screaming at himself. What the fuck was he doing? 

“Whatever your issues are, fix them or learn to leave them at home. I understand you have been through a hard time, but we all have been through it. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself suspended without pay” threatened the taller man. 

“Try it, I dare you” 

“Or I could make you wait tables” smirked Erwin. Levi found himself cringing. Dealing with dirty tables and filthy customers was his idea of hell on earth. 

“Alright Eyebrows. I will go see a therapist or something” surrendered the chef. Erwin nodded. 

“It’s for your own good. Now, I won’t make you apologise to Hange today. However, I do expect you to apologise to her at some point” said Erwin. Levi nodded. 

“Also, go home” added the manager. 

“Erwin, that’s not...” Erwin held up a hand, silencing him. 

“Levi, go home and get some rest, please. I am not telling you as a manager but asking you as a concerned friend” explained Erwin, as he placed a large hand on Levi’s slender shoulder. 

“Alright, Erwin” replied Levi. He may have been stubborn, but he also knew when to quit. 

“Good. Enjoy your day off tomorrow because you are going to need it” laughed Erwin. Levi’s eyes narrowed. 

“Why?” he questioned. 

“Tomorrow is the closing day for the cooking contest entries. So, the day after myself, you and Hange will have to go through all the entries. So far, we have over four hundred entries” smiled Erwin. 

“Motherfucker” swore Levi. 

“Good luck” chuckled Erwin, as he left the staff room. Levi rolled his eyes. He pulled out his phone and checked it. There was one message. It was the mechanic informing him that his car would be ready for pick up tomorrow. Finally, one bit of good news. 

XOX

“Alright, so all in all, that will be five hundred dollars, Mr Ackerman.” Levi raised his eyebrows. Five hundred dollars? 

“Could you explain to me, what exactly was wrong with my car?” he asked. The bulky blonde mechanic launched into an explanation. 

“In lay man’s terms, there was two of the parts in your gearbox were worn down a good bit. It was causing your car to slip out of gear. Now, your car is an imported BMW. Not too many of them floating around, so we had to order in the parts. That caused a delay because it took nearly three weeks to get them here. We only have one guy that specialises in imported manual transmission cars. Trust me, you are in a niche market. He had to remove the gearbox, replace the parts and put it back in. Also, and I quote “if you lot put a single scratch on my car or leave any oily smudges on it, so help me god” end quote, so we did a full valet on it as well. We also did an oil and filter change as well. All in all, I’d say Bert spent about twelve maybe thirteen hours working on your car” explain the mechanic. Levi nodded. He did not realise how much work had to be done. He glanced down at the nameplate on the desk. It read Reiner Braun. 

“Thank you for explaining,” he said, fishing out his wallet. 

“It’s your car, so it’s your right to know. Cash or card?” asked Reiner. 

“Card” replied Levi, handing over his credit card. Reiner accepted the card and began processing the transaction. 

“I must say, it was a real treat having your car in. Bert was like a kid on Christmas morning when he saw it. I’d to lock your key in the safe, to ensure its safety” said Reiner, as he handed back Levi’s card, with his car key. 

“Did I really need to know that?” he asked, as he accepted the items. Reiner shrugged. 

“Maybe. When you are ready, I can show you where we have your car parked” he said, standing up and walking out from behind the desk. Levi put away his card and reattached his car key to his keychain. He followed Reiner out into the car park. As they walked, Levi cursed internally as he had to take two steps to keep up with Reiner’s long strides. 

“There is your car” grinned the mechanic, pointing out the car. “Now you may have to readjust your mirrors and seat. Bert did have to talk it out for a test drive to ensure all was good. He stands at six feet three or so” he concluded. 

“Noted. Thank you for the job” said Levi. He was glad to have his car back. No more disgusting, unsanitary buses for him. 

“No problem. Call us anytime and thank you for the business. Oh, one more thing, your next service is due when you have 25,000 miles on the clock” added Reiner. Levi nodded and thanked the other man once more. Reiner left him and went back to the office. 

“Thank God” muttered Levi. He unlocked his car and got in. Inhaling deeply, the chef was satisfied. It smelled clean. The next ten to fifteen minutes was spent carefully readjusting the mirror and seat to his tastes. 

“Right,” he said to himself, sticking the key in the ignition. Levi took a breath and turned the key. The car roared to life and calmed down to a rumbling purr. Levi sighed with contentment as he drove out of the car park. The traffic was not too heavy. He stopped at a red light and waited for it to change back to green. He glanced around. He was stopped outside 104th. To Levi’s surprise, the door of the café was thrown open and Eren stormed out. His sister was hot on his heels. They ran down the street. A horn blaring behind Levi alerted him to the changed traffic lights. He drove home, wondering what happened to Eren. 

XOX  
Eren

“Eren, come back” cried, Mikasa. Eren stormed down the street, ignoring her calls, roughly pulling on his coat. “Go back and apologise. Hannes might change his mind” she yelled. Eren stopped and turned to face his sister. 

“Why should I? I did nothing wrong” he shouted back. He was so angry with the café owner. 

“I know that, but you need to explain to Hannes what really happened” begged Mikasa, grabbing his hand. Eren pulled free from her grasp. 

“Go back to work Mikasa. Don’t give the asshole a reason to fire you too” snapped Eren, as he turned his back on her and continued down the street. 

XOX

“Hey, Eren. You’re home early. Where’s Mikasa?” asked Armin, as Eren entered the flat. Eren did not respond. He kicked off his shoes and flopped into an armchair. He dry-scrubbed his face. 

“Eren, are you alright?” asked the blond, setting aside his textbook. Eren sighed. 

“I got fired” he replied. 

“What? How?” exclaimed Armin, his jaw slack. 

“This stupid bitch and her friends were trying to pull a dine and dash. So, I stopped them. Then the bitch with serious nasal issues starts screaming that I tried to grope her boobs. Hannes arrives to see this and she starts threatening to sue. So, Hannes fired me” explained Eren. 

“Did Hannes hear you out?” questioned Armin. Eren shook his head. 

“Hannes began begging her not to tell Mr Dok, whoever that is” he sighed. Armin’s eyes widened. 

“Eren, Mr Dok could be Nile Dok, the manager of Sina, that crazy fancy restaurant. She might work there” yelped Armin. Eren sat upright. He was now seriously pissed. 

“No way. That bitch could well afford to pay” he fumed. “Wait, Armin, how do you know who that Dok guy is?” asked Eren, now feeling confused. 

“Oh that, I applied for a job as a waiter at Sina. Nile told me I did not have near enough experience. He said I should try Maria or Rose” 

“What a dick” commented Eren. 

“Yeah, and all the wait staff looked like they had sticks shoved up their asses” agreed Armin. 

“Armin, why are you looking for a job? You have your scholarship?” questioned Eren. The other young man turned red around his ears. 

“Well hmm, you see, most of my scholarship is tied up with tuition fees so I don’t have a lot left over to contribute here” explained Armin. “And I feel like a burden” he finished. Eren was taken aback. He stood up and sat down beside Armin. He placed his hand on Armin’s shoulder. 

“Armin, you’re not a burden. In fact, you’re a hero around here!” exclaimed Eren. 

“Huh?” 

“Don’t think I don’t see you submitting online assignments for Jean and me” smirked Eren. 

“Oh that?” blushed Armin.

“Yeah, oh that” 

“Well, I know how hard your courses are and you two are holding down jobs as well, so I….” began Armin. 

“And you are doing our coursework and you are doing Law” laughed Eren. 

“JAEGER! Why are you fucking laughing? Mikasa phoned me earlier to tell me you got fired!” yelled Jean, as he rampaged into the living room. He threw his bag into an armchair in fury. 

“Inside voice, Jean” sang Armin. 

“You got fired!” said Jean, in a low voice, still dripping with anger. 

“Yeah, I am aware of that” replied Eren, his mood now turning sour. 

“Now, how are we going to afford beer?” lamented Jean, throwing himself into an armchair. 

“You could switch to a cheaper brand?” suggested Armin.

“We are already at the cheapest brand,” said Eren, sadly. 

“I know, apply to Maria” exclaimed Jean. 

“Jean, I already live with you. I don’t want to work with you” groaned Eren. The room fell silent. A feeling rolled over Eren like he was forgetting something. What was it? 

“Oh, shit” he yelled, jumping up to his feet. 

“What?” yelled Jean, also jumping up. Eren was sprinting to his room.

“I can’t believe I forgot” he cried. 

“Forgot what?” called Armin. 

“The cooking contest! I forgot” called back Eren. 

“For the love of… He gave me a heart attack” groaned Jean as he slid back into the armchair. 

“Ha, that’s Eren. He would forget his head if it wasn’t attached to his shoulders” laughed Armin, as he picked up his law textbook to finish his assignment.


	11. Chapter eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! sorry for the delay on this one! Work is getting to me with lots of late nights and customers! Thank you for all the kudos and bookmarks! I can't believe we have hit over 1500 hits! Thank you once again! Please enjoy this latest chapter! :) 
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter eleven.  
Levi.

“This one sucks too” whined Hange, as she shoved her iPad away. 

“Let’s see,” said Levi. Hange nudged the device towards him with her elbow. The black-haired chef picked it up and read the email. He felt himself cringe as his eyes scanned the entry. 

“Why is everyone putting fruit and meat together. Yes, I understand pork and apples is a classic flavour combination, but it is so overrated” he groaned, as he pushed Hange’s iPad back to her. Hange began to knock her head against Erwin’s desk. So far, they had gotten through two hundred of the entries and they had found only a handful of promising entries. This was torture and it seemed never-ending. 

“Oh, we have a risk taker here” smirked Erwin, as he scrolled through an entry on his laptop. 

“Is it good?” gasped Hange as she ceased knocking her head to pay attention. 

“It’s one of Levi’s recipes” chortled the manager. Erwin now had Levi’s full attention as well. 

“Let me see” snapped Levi. Erwin pushed the laptop over and Levi began to read. He felt his blood boil. On the screen, was indeed one of his recipes. It was the recipe for his poached chicken with a ginger and lime broth. A play on the alcoholic drink, gin and tonic. It did a run on Maria’s Christmas menu two years ago. 

“How did they get the recipe?” asked Hange, as she peered over Levi’s shoulder to also read the screen. 

“Zackley put out a cookbook back last year. He published some of the restaurants’ most popular dishes in it. I remember that soup. It was delicious. It wasn’t stereotypical Christmas, but still felt Christmassy” explained Erwin. 

“Never mind risk taker. This person is a complete ass wipe. If I had my way, I would pick them to cook for us, so I could watch them make the fucking soup and then pour it all over their fucking ball sack” hissed Levi, as he shoved the laptop back to its owner. 

“Don’t worry. This person is going to be disqualified from the competition” said Erwin, as he wrote the person’s name on a separate sheet of paper. 

“Now, Erwin. I suggest we include this person and we have a cook-off between him and Levi. Loser gets soup poured on their balls” injected Hange. Levi groaned. Only Hange could come up with a crazy idea like that. 

“Hange, no one is getting soup poured on their genitals” intervened Erwin. Levi hunched forward and massaged his temples. This was an impossible task. Cooking was a subjective thing. Things he liked, Hange despised. Things she liked, Erwin loathed. It was a never-ending circle of constant back and forth with no outcome. 

“Oh, this one looks promising” exclaimed Hange. Her announcement brought Levi from his thoughts. 

“Huh?” he questioned. 

“Steak with wine sauce and fries,” said the pastry chef. Levi could see a small glimmer in her eyes. He only ever saw that when Hange found something that excited her. 

“That’s bog standard” replied Erwin.

“But hear me out! It’s the dessert that caught my eye. It’s a dark chocolate and chilli cheesecake with a brick pastry base” explained the pastry chef, swooning in her chair. 

“Brick pastry?” asked Levi. He hated himself for having to ask but he was not a sweet loving person. 

“It’s a wet pastry, kind of like a batter. It’s painted onto a warm frying pan in layers and then baked. Very time consuming but very rewarding as it produces a wafer-thin pastry like filo, but it’s got crumbling layers like a puff pastry” explained Hange, her eyes dancing with delight.

“I have never seen it on your menu and why is that?” asked Levi. Hange waved her hand. 

“Brick is always made to order. So, I would need an infinite number of frying pans and an infinite number of hands, if I got loads of orders for a dessert with brick pastry. Also, it’s very temperamental. Batter too thick and you get don’t get the wafer-thin texture. Batter too watery and you spend ages building up decent layers. The cooking time is also a nightmare. One minute over and it’s a burnt inedible mess” she concluded. 

“What’s their name?” asked Erwin. 

“Eren Jaeger. He’s a twenty-year-old student. He says here he likes to cook for his family and friends because it makes him feel like he’s looking after them” read Hange. 

“Finally, someone who didn’t mention the “great Levi Ackerman” snorted Levi, rolling his eyes. He had lost count of all the entries that mentioned him and how people would love a cooking lesson from him. 

“Does he make the short list?” asked Erwin. 

“Yes, I can not wait to try this cheesecake” smiled Hange, as she danced in her chair. 

“Sure, but it better be one hell of a steak,” said Levi. Part of him was gone beyond the point of caring. Why did Zackley have to suggest the stupid contest? There was a timid knock on the door. 

“Come in” called Erwin. The door opened and the new hostess, Krista, entered the office. 

“Sorry to interrupt, Mr Smith. I was wondering if you all wanted anything. You all have been in her for nearly six hours,” said the doe-eyed hostess. Erwin chuckled. 

“Thank you for your kind thoughts, Ms Lenz” he smiled. 

“Please Sir, call me Krista.” The young woman was now blushing a soft pink. 

“Please, call me Erwin then” replied the manager. Levi inwardly rolled his eyes at the exchange. 

“Could I get a strong black coffee please?” asked Erwin.

“Yes. Ms Zoe? Mr Ackerman?” 

“Large hot chocolate, please. Also, go into the kitchen and ask Moblit for a cup of cream from the gun. He’ll understand” replied Hange.

“Black tea” answered Levi. 

“Coming right up” smiled Krista. She left and shut the door softly. 

“You hit on a good thing with her” grinned Hange. Erwin sat back and dry scrubbed his face. 

“Thank God. She is an excellent hostess and has some common sense” replied Erwin. 

“A trait so fucking rare, it should be classified as a God damn superpower” added Levi. 

“Levi, are you okay?” questioned Hange.

“Yes” 

“You would tell us if you weren’t, right?”

“Yes, I would” snapped Levi.

“Levi” cautioned Erwin. Levi backed down. The door opened once again. Krista came in carrying a tray with their requested drinks on it. She set it down on the desk. Levi could see her shaking slightly, as she tried to be as careful as possible. Once the tray was safely on the desk, she visibly exhaled. 

“Can I get you anything else?” she asked. 

“No thank you. Thank you for the drinks” replied Erwin. Krista smiled, and she left the office. Levi picked up his tea. The cup was hot, and the dark liquid was steaming hot. He blew the top ever so slightly and took a deep sip of the liquid. It was warm and simple. No need for sweeteners or milk. A perfect cup of tea. A thought danced into his mind. There was no way. It had to be a joke. 

“What’s up, Levi?” asked Hange, as she scooped cream onto her hot chocolate. 

“It’s stupid” muttered Levi. 

“Out with it” commanded Erwin. 

“When I lost my notebook in 104th, it was a kid named Eren that found it” explained Levi.

“You think it could be the same person?” asked Hange, as she sipped her drink. She put the cup down to wipe a blob of cream off the tip of her nose. 

“Well, Eren is a very popular name among the people with German ancestry in this area,” said Erwin. 

“Yeah, aren’t you French, Levi?” quizzed Hange, after another gulp of her drink. Levi looked at the other chef. She had another blob of cream on her nose. 

“Four-eyes, wipe your face. You’re like a child with ice-cream on a hot summer day. Also, my grandmother on my mother’s side was, but somehow, I don’t think that counts” he responded. 

“Alright, enough slacking off. Let’s get back to work” announced Erwin, pulling up a new entry. The trio spent the next two hours going over the rest of the entries. Levi felt his patients grow thinner and thinner with each entry. Most of them were just rip-offs or dated and uninspired. Every now and again, there was a promising entry with a unique idea or creative flair. 

“Right chefs. We have gone through all the entries. So, we are done with this part” smiled Erwin. Levi had hunched over the desk. He was feeling mentally drained. Hange was not fairing much better. The hyperactive pastry chef was silent. At Erwin’s words, the two of them snapped back to life. 

“What do you mean this part?” yelped Hange, leaning forward. Her glasses sat skewed on her nose. Erwin held up a page with around forty names on it. 

“This is our shortlist. We need to go through this and find twelve people to cook for us” replied the manager. Levi felt his jaw drop. He was tempted to quit his job or strangle his manager. Hange was more vocal in her displeasure. 

“For the love of pastry!” she wailed, throwing up her arms into the air. 

“If you didn’t do the fucking payroll, I’d gut you like a fucking fish” hissed Levi. 

“Now, it’s only fair we do it this way. We want the best” smiled Erwin. Hange began to bang her head off the desk. 

“What the fuck are you doing, shitty glasses?” demanded Levi, as he grabbed her ponytail to cease her headbanging. 

“I am trying to give myself a concussion, so I don’t have to do this anymore” cried the pastry chef. 

“Don’t you dare leave me alone to deal with this and Eyebrows over there” 

“I wanna go home” 

“I agree. Erwin, I would like to get home this side of next Tuesday, if you don’t mind” snapped Levi, releasing Hange’s hair. 

“And the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go home” replied Erwin. “Now, shall we” he chuckled. Levi found him himself praying for this just to end, just so that he could be left alone. 

Xox

For the next three or so hours, Levi threatened to maim Hange and Erwin a total of thirty times. Erwin had rolled his eyes at the bickering pair a total of forty-eight times and Hange had threatened to quit nine times if Erwin did not agree with her. The manager took that threat seriously a total of five times. Levi racked his hands through his hair and slumped forward to rest his elbows on Erwin’s desk. Finally, they were done. The trio had found twelve people to cook for them. 

“Now, what?” asked Hange, weakly. 

“We email them and give them a time slot. Three will cook per day in the experiment kitchen. We supply the ingredients and equipment. They will have two hours to cook and present their dishes” explained Erwin. 

“Sounds good,” said the pastry chef as she gave a weak thumb’s up. Levi looked up and nodded. He did not have the energy to reply to Erwin. He just wanted to go home and be left alone. 

“Can we question them while they cook?” quizzed Hange. 

“Yes, but nothing too serious. We don’t want them getting all nervous or upset” replied Erwin, as he put a stack of papers into a folder. “You two can go home now. I am going to do up the emails and send them out in the morning” he added. Hange cried out in happiness. She jumped out of the chair and ran out of the office, screaming “I love you, Cater-brows” at the top of her lungs. Erwin laughed. Levi rolled his eyes. The shorter man sat up and began to think. Was he really the best person to be doing this? He was not known for his kind words of encouragement or letting people down gently. 

“Am I really the best person to be doing this?” 

Erwin looked up from his papers. Levi could not read the emotion on Erwin’s face. A mixture of frustration and sadness. 

“Is that self-doubt I hear, Mr Ackerman?” he asked. Levi inhaled and exhaled deeply. Was it self-doubt? The chef was not sure. Erwin leaned forward. “Levi, last time I checked you were just like all these people. No fancy culinary school, just pure, raw and undiluted talent” continued the manager. Levi sighed and stood up. His joints popped, and he groaned in discomfort. He cursed softly. 

“Erwin, please don’t remind me of those days,” said Levi, as he looked down to the floor. He was fighting back God-awful memories. Memories that he wanted to forget, so badly that at one point, he considered giving himself a lobotomy with a rusty spoon. 

“Good home, chef. Have a good night and sorry” said Erwin. Levi looked at the manager. 

“I am going now, alright. Goodnight, Eyebrows” announced Levi, walking to the door. His fingertips brushed the handle when Erwin cleared his throat. 

“You are in the experiment kitchen tomorrow. Zackley wants all those samples by the end of next week.” Levi turned on his heels to face Erwin. The manager was smirking as he looked up from his phone. Levi narrowed his eyes. He was done with today. 

“Tell that asshole of a human being, if he rushes me, I will masturbate or shit into one of the samples or maybe all of them. Who knows?” he snapped as he left the office, slamming the door behind him. 

XXX


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I would have got this up sooner but my laptop decided to go rogue and I got distracted by Kingdom Heart 3! My bad! Thank you all for the comments, kudos and bookmarks. They mean so much to me. This chapter is on the short side, unfortunately. Hope you all enjoy. 
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter twelve.  
Eren.

Eren looked at the screen of his laptop. He was lost for words. He blinked several times and squinted at the screen. 

“Eren, what’s wrong?” asked Mikasa. The question did not register with him. It sounded muffled like he was underwater. Someone placed a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. 

“Eren!” yelled Mikasa. Eren jumped in his chair and grabbed a fistful of the shirt over his heart. He panted slightly in shock. He looked over to Mikasa and Armin. His roommates were looking at him. Their eyes were full of concern. 

“Eren, what is going on? You have been sitting there for the last ten minutes, looking like a fish out of water” said Armin. Eren slouched back into the chair. A bright smile spread across his face. He ran his hands through his hair and dry scrubbed his face. 

“I got shortlisted,” he said, from behind his hands. 

“What?” asked Mikasa, slowing rising to her feet. Eren pulled his hands from his face.

“I got shortlisted in the Maria cooking contest” he announced. 

“Oh my God!” cried Mikasa. She launched herself at Eren and threw her arms around him. He returned the hug. 

“Well done Eren” cheered Armin. Eren felt happy. Something good finally decided to happen. He could try and do something good for his roommates, dinner at Maria. He was finally one step closer to that goal. 

“What’s next?” asked Mikasa, as she released Eren from the hug. Eren sat forward and began to read the rest of the email. 

“Next Thursday, I have to be in Maria at three o clock. I have an hour and a half to cook my dishes and present my dishes to Erwin Smith, Levi Ackerman and Hange Zoe” he explained, sitting back from the bright laptop screen. 

“Honey, I’m home” announced Jean, as he entered the apartment. The door slammed shut. “How’s everyone doing?” he asked, as he entered the kitchen. 

“Jean, we have great news” exclaimed Armin. 

“Eren got shortlisted for the Maria cooking contest” continued Mikasa. Jean kicked off his shoes and flopped into an armchair. 

“Really? Nice one, Jaeger” he replied. 

“Thanks, man,” said Eren. It was weird getting praised by Jean. A lightbulb went off in Eren’s head. “Hey dude, who’s Hange Zoe?” he asked. Jean laughed. 

“She is the head pastry chef of Maria and the resident mad scientist” he explained. 

“Mad scientist?” questioned Mikasa. 

“She is completely batshit crazy, but she is a genius” explained Jean, as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table. Eren pushed them off the table.

“How so?” asked Armin. 

“She makes ice-cream to order” 

“To order? How does she do that?” asked Armin, sitting forward. Eren chuckled. The blonde had a fondness for ice-cream. It was his weekend treat for when he had finished a long week of assignments and classes. Jean shrugged. 

“She makes up the custard. When a customer orders it, she personally brings it out with a mixing bowl and a jug of liquid nitrogen. She pours the custard into the mixer, turns it on and pours in the liquid nitrogen. There is a big puff of smoke and like ten to fifteen seconds later, she is scooping out solid ice-cream into homemade waffle cones with popping candy or chocolate shards baked into them” explained Jean. Armin’s face was lit up like a child on Christmas Day.

“Oh, my. Eren, no pressure but please, win that dinner” sighed Armin, melting back into his seat. 

“She is also much easier to deal with than that asshole Ackerman” added Jean. “Why all the questions about her?” 

“Eren has to cook for her along with Levi and Erwin” explained Mikasa. 

“If you have a good sweet number, Hange will root for you. She loves an underdog” said Jean. Eren nodded, taking in all the new information. 

I should really go and practice these dishes” he said. “I never made them before” he added, sheepishly. Eren cringed as his roommates’ jaws all dropped. 

“Why would you submit something you never cooked before?” yelled Jean, burying his head in his hands. Mikasa stayed silent. 

“But you did the chocolate and chilli cheesecake before,” said Armin. 

“Yeah, I did. But I tweaked it to a gluten-free base” 

“Why did you do that?” asked Mikasa.

“I wanted to stand out” 

“Clearly, it worked” snapped Jean. “What happens if it doesn’t work?” he demanded. Eren shrugged. 

“No idea” he commented. 

“So, why did you actually tweak it? Gluten-free?” asked Mikasa. 

“It was for Armin” grinned Eren. 

“For me?” asked the blonde in disbelief. 

“I know about your gluten intolerance and when I made it the first time, I noticed you scrapped the cheesecake away from the base. I wanted to make something you could enjoy” explained Eren. Armin smiled. He stood up and made his way over to the sofa. He sat down, squeezing in between Eren and Mikasa. He threw an arm around Eren. 

“Thank you. That means so much to me” he smiled. Eren returned the gesture.

“No problem, buddy” smiled Eren. 

“Oh God, please let Jaeger know what he is doing” prayed Jean. 

“Guys, I hate to do this, but I got some bad news” sighed Mikasa, looking at her phone. Armin returned to armchair he was sitting it. 

“What is it?” asked Jean. 

“The landlord is increasing the rent and he is going on vacation in two weeks for six weeks, so he wants this months rent and next months rent by the end of next week” explained Mikasa, looking up from her phone. Eren looked to his sister. The light from her phone screen highlighted the dark circles forming under her blue-grey coloured eyes. Jean jumped up from his chair. 

“How much of an increase are we talking?” he cried. 

“An extra fifty dollars each a month. He is saying that the insurance for the property has increased so that’s why he has to put up the rent” sighed Mikasa, setting down her phone on the coffee table. 

“So now, it’s 1,200 dollars a month to rent this place now” groaned Armin. He began to bang his head on a thick textbook. 

“You are telling us, that asshole wants 2,400 dollars off us by the end of next week?” spat Eren. He was pissed now. Mikasa nodded. 

“Text that piece of shit back and tell him to fuck right off. We are scraping by, at the moment” growled Eren. He was now shaking with anger. 

“If you do that, we will be homeless by tomorrow morning” retorted Jean. “Great, just fucking great. First, Jaeger loses his job and now this” he grumbled to himself. 

“Hey, asshole. None of this is my fault” yelled Eren, jumping to his feet. It was not his fault. He did not go to the landlord and tell him to increase the rent. It was not his fault he lost his job. Those girls were pulling a dine and dash. Hannes just would not listen to him. Did the world have something against him?

“What do we do?” mumbled Armin, setting down his book. He had left himself with a bright red mark on his forehead. Mikasa cleared her throat and sat up straight. 

“Getting angry won’t fix any of this,” she said. “Jean, Eren, sit the fuck back down” she added. Eren looked at Jean. Jean looked back. They gulped and sat back down. 

“I could call my folks and ask for a bailout just this once” suggested Jean. Mikasa shook her head.

“No Jean. Not for all of us. That is too much” said Mikasa. The young woman paused for a moment. 

“Mikasa…” began Armin. 

“This is the plan. Eren, go ask Hannes for your job back. Armin, you go with Jean and drop a resumé into his boss. You might get lucky” she instructed. 

“And how are you going to contribute to this grand plan?” injected Eren. Mikasa smiled softly and sat back. 

“I am going to do nothing, but I will get the landlord off our asses,” she said. 

“What? How are you going to do that?” asked Jean. Mikasa’s smiled morphed into a smirk. 

“I knew that landlord was up to something when he wouldn’t hand over a tenant’s contract” she explained. “So…” Reaching down with one hand, she pulled a black leather briefcase from under the sofa and set it on the coffee table. 

“Why do I feel like I am sitting down with the mob?” whisper- shouted Jean. 

“In this briefcase is three months’ rent for this apartment. Now, this was banking on the old rate of 1,000 dollars a month but with the increase, I only have two months rent. It’s enough for the time being” she concluded. Eren was shocked. No wonder he very rarely saw Mikasa treat herself like other women her age. Maybe once or twice, he saw her go for a coffee or a movie with her friend, Annie. 

“Oh Mikasa, I could kiss you right now. No hetero” cheered Jean, throwing his arms up in celebration. 

“So, you finally accepted your new-found sexuality?” laughed Eren. 

“Well, for a minute there, I thought I would have to cancel my movie date with Marco, but now….” He waved his arms in Mikasa’s direction. “Thanks to this lovely lady, phase three of seducing Marco is back in action” cheered Jean, as he punched the air. Eren sat back and rolled his eyes. Typical Jean. Blowing everything out of proportion.

“Jean, when did phase one and two happen?” asked Armin. The blond had a look of confusion plastered across his face. Jean sat up. 

“Phase one happened when I met up with Marco outside the library on a very rainy day and give him a ride home. Phase two happened when I bought him a dirty chai latte while he was studying hard” explained Jean. 

“I am deeply surprised you even know what a dirty chai latte is” commented Eren. 

“Do not underestimate how charming this stallion is or how helpful Google can be” winked Jean. That line caught Eren’s attention. He jumped to his feet, finger pointed squarely at Jean. 

“There you admitted it!” he yelled. 

“Admitted what?” exclaimed Jean in shock. 

“That you are a horse….” 

“I said no such thing” 

“You called yourself a stallion” laughed Eren. 

“Yeah, a stallion is not a horse” snapped Jean. 

“Mikasa, quick google that shit” commanded Eren. Mikasa picked up her phone and started to google. 

“Jean, a male horse is called a stallion” announced Mikasa. Eren and Armin burst out laughing. Jean grinned wickedly at the laughing pair. 

“Hey, Jaeger, why don’t you start practising? I want that free meal in Maria” smiled Jean, looming over the laughing duo. Eren stopped laughing and looked up at Jean. He felt the bottom drop from his stomach. Jumping up from the sofa as quickly as he could, he bolted into the kitchen to start practising. Eren smiled to himself as the sounds of his roommates’ laughs filled his ears. Finally, things were starting to look up for them.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. Sorry about the delay on this one. I was really busy with work for the last few weeks and one of my work best friends decided to leave so I am going to miss her very much. Also, I really got into the fanfic "Swept Away" by hoshifeels. Currently on chapter forty-eight and it's really good read for any Eren x Levi fans. Thank you, everyone, for all the bookmarks, kudos and hits. I really do love each and every single one of them and all feedback is welcomed and appreciated.   
> ALERT: This chapter contains a very small spoiler for the A choice with no regrets manga/ OVA. 
> 
> Tumblr: lucythehobbitxxx

Chapter thirteen.  
Levi.

“All right Hannah. Your time is up” announced Erwin. The young woman at the bench stood up straight. She was breathing heavily like she had run a marathon. Levi, Hange and Erwin approached the bench. Hannah was beaming proudly at her two dishes. Levi inwardly scowled at the current state of the bench. Pots were thrown into the small sink. The bench was covered in flour and peelings. It was filthy and disorganised. Two of Levi’s pet hates. 

“So, we have your beef wellington with roasted vegetables and a pear tartan?” asked Erwin. 

“Yes, that’s right. I also did an almond ice-cream with the pear tartan” replied Hannah, quickly as she recovered her breath. 

“Excellent. Let’s start with the beef wellington. Levi?” said Erwin, nodding to the Wellington. Levi eyed the beef wellington. The pastry was very brown on top and he noted some juices seeping out from a crack on the side. 

“Hannah, do you know the idea behind cooking a beef wellington?” asked the chef. 

“The pastry acts like a casing for the beef to keep in juices and the mushroom duxelle” she replied. 

“Good, so why is your pastry case cracked?” asked Levi, pointing to the crack on her Wellington.

Hannah’s smile faded from her face. “Oh, I did not see that” she admitted. 

“How do you want this beef wellington cooked?” 

“Medium rare. It’s how I like my beef” 

Levi nodded. He picked up a knife and sliced the beef wellington open. He pushed the two halves apart.

“Well?” asked Hange, peering over his shoulder. Levi reached up and shoved Hange’s face back. He set down the knife and pressed the back of his index finger against the red meat inside. 

“It’s raw. Stone cold” answered Levi. He walked over to a small sink and washed his hands. 

“What? It can’t be” cried, Hannah. Levi dried his hands and raised an eyebrow. 

“Did you probe it with the temperature probe?” he asked. 

“Well, no. I didn’t want to ruin the pastry?” replied Hannah. Levi’s brow knotted as he began to think. He walked over to a shelf, retrieved a probe and walked back to the bench. Allowing for resting time, but Hannah had it covered in foil to keep in the heat. Levi stuck the probe into the beef. The temperature read forty-nine degrees Celsius. 

“It’s forty-nine degrees Celsius,” said Levi. “Allowing for resting time, at most it was fifty-five degrees Celsius when it came out of the oven” 

“Erwin, what’s that in Fahrenheit?” whisper shouted Hange. 

“This is around one hundred and thirty-one degrees Fahrenheit” replied Erwin. 

“Thank you” chirped Hange.

“We can’t eat this” declared Levi. He looked at Hannah. She looked distraught. Her fists were clasped in front of her. Levi could see her fighting back tears. “Pastry is overcooked on top and raw underneath. I noticed you didn’t fully seal the beef, so the juices leaked into the pastry and the crack in the pastry meant that heat escaped” explained the chef. Hannah was now losing the fight against her tears. A single tear slid down her cheek. Levi sighed and picked up a fork. He speared a carrot and parsnip that were served on a different plate and bit into them. Levi chewed for a few moments, allowing himself to taste every flavour and texture. He swallowed and paused for thought. 

“Vegetables are nice. Honey, lemon and thyme. Just the right amount of firmness” he finished. Hannah’s face lit up. 

“Thank you” she gasped in relief. Hange and Erwin tried the vegetables. 

“Yum,” said Hange, after she swallowed. Erwin nodded in agreement. Hannah thanked them. 

“Now, my turn” smiled Hange. She picked up a spoon and licked her lips as she eyed the dessert. “Before I dig in, I am going to commend you on making your own pastry, even though there was some pre-made pastry in the storeroom. Colour me impressed” complimented the pastry chef. 

“So, Hannah, what are you hoping for this?” asked Erwin. 

“Flaky pastry, pears firm but soft enough to cut with a spoon” answered Hannah, confidently. Levi raised an eyebrow. Huh, the girl was more confident about her dessert than her main course. Hange pressed the edge of her spoon against a pear and teased it with a gentle push. She winked at Hannah and sliced through the pear effortlessly. Hannah’s smile brightened.

“Pear and almond, what a classic” remarked Hange as she scooped up some of the ice-cream and ate it. 

“Well, is it edible?” asked Levi. 

“Try for yourself” nodded Hange. Levi and Erwin picked up a spoon each and sampled the dessert. 

“Excellent” commented Erwin, as he sampled the dessert. 

“Not half bad, better than your Wellington,” remarked Levi. He was not a sweet person. Both in personality and in his palate. The dessert’s flavours matched well and were not overpowering. 

“Thank you for your time, Hannah. We’ll be in touch. The results will be emailed out next week” said Erwin. 

“Thank you for the opportunity and it was a pleasure to cook for you all” smiled Hannah. She left the experiment kitchen, leaving the others alone. 

Xxx

“Another one bites the dust” sang Hange. Hannah was their last contestant of the day. 

“Do we have a contender? That dessert was extremely good” said Erwin. Levi and Hange began to think. Levi began to wait up the pros and cons of Hannah’s cooking.

“No” announced Levi. 

“What? Why?” cried Hange. “That pear tartan was wonderful. She made two kinds of pastry and a homemade ice-cream” she argued. 

“She put up raw fucking meat. Raw meat is a fucking cardinal sin in a kitchen. The pastry was fucking raw and she can count her lucky stars, she decided to put her vegetables on a separate plate or we could have got food poisoning” countered Levi. 

“Unfortunately, Hange, I must agree with Levi in this situation” said Erwin, as he crossed Hannah’s name off the list. 

“Can we consider her for the cooking lessons?” questioned Hange. 

“No, she is far too good for them” replied Levi, indifferently. 

“What the fuck?” shouted Hange, pulling at her hair. Levi rolled his eyes. 

“You said it yourself. Two kinds or pastry and homemade ice-cream in an hour and a half. How many chefs can do that, without feeling pressure?” enquired Levi. 

“When you put it like that” replied Hange, sadly. 

“Erwin, how many days of this do we have left to do?” groaned Levi. The chef was feeling so done with this competition. Erwin chuckled. 

“This was only the first day” he smirked. 

“You are a sick son of a bitch” hissed Levi. 

“This was all Zackley’s idea” dismissed Erwin, tucking some sheets into a folder. 

“Get Mike to judge instead” scowled Levi. Erwin laughed. 

“The only reason we had such a high response rate was that of the chance to win a cooking lesson with Levi Ackerman” he chuckled. 

“Yeah, so many people would be so disappointed if you didn’t taste their food” teased Hange.

“Shut up, shitty glasses!” snapped Levi, turning on the pastry chef. 

“It’s not fair. You’re a massive dick and you have all the adoring fans. I am the nice one and only a few people wanted to cook for me” she whined. 

“Yeah, one of them was here and that thing they called a meringue sucked ass” reminded Levi. 

“Oh yes that, I have eaten cardboard with more flavour and texture than that thing,” said Hange. 

“Hange, why were you eating cardboard?” asked Erwin. 

“It was culinary school and I was high” she explained. 

“You did weed?” asked Levi in shock. He would never have pegged Hange for that.

“Yep, but not anymore. I was young and stupid” she concluded. 

“Huh, you learn something new every day” commented Erwin. 

“Erwin, can I go the fuck home?” groaned Levi, as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Go on, get a good night’s sleep” replied Erwin.

“Thanks, goodbye.” Levi left the kitchen and began to walk to the staff room. 

“Hey Levi.” Levi looked up. Hange was running after him. 

“What is it, Hange?” he asked. Hange looked around. 

“Do you call the counsellor yet?” she asked, quietly. Levi glanced away and looked back to Hange. The pastry chef’s eyes were full of concern. 

“Yeah, booked in next Saturday” he lied. 

“Great. It will do you wonders” smiled Hange. 

“I hope so, too” agreed Levi, cringing inside. 

“I have got to go now. I got to check on my sorbets. Ciao” sang the female chef as she skipped off. Levi groaned as he walked back to his locker. He hated lying to Hange, but he needed space. He opened his locker and opened it to retrieve his casual clothes. He changed quickly. 

“Levi, what’s wrong?” Levi finished packing his stuff and slammed his locker shut. 

“Nothing Mike” he replied, calmly. 

“You smell different,” said the taller chef. 

“You’re imagining shit” retorted Levi. He left the locker room and walked through the restaurant, ignoring everyone and hoping no-one would attempt to speak to him. He finally made it to his car. Unlocking it, Levi got in and let out a breath he did not realise he was holding. He started his car and began the quiet drive home. 

Xxx

“Hey Scout,” said Levi, as he entered his apartment. The cat purred softly as it rubbed against his calves. Levi set down his bag, dropped his keys in the green bowl and put his coat up on the hook. He retrieved his wallet from his bag and opened it. He took out the small business card Hange had given him some time ago.

“K. Shadis, Social worker and Councillor” it read. Levi crushed the card in his fist and dropped it into a small waste bin. He did not need a shrink. He just wanted to be left alone. Scout meowed. Levi looked down at the black cat, that sat at his feet. He sighed and fed the cat some fresh tuna he had picked up on his way home from work. 

“I need a shower” he grumbled to himself. The chef went to his room and picked up some fluffy towels. He checked the boiler. It was piping hot. Finally, the maintenance crew got their shit together. Levi went back to his room and entered his en-suite. He turned on the shower. As the water heated up, Levi stripped naked and threw his clothes in the laundry hamper. Stepping into the shower, Levi sighed as the scalding water hit his skin like raindrops. Suddenly, he felt on edge and his skin began to crawl. He felt so unclean. In a rush, he grabbed his washcloth and shower gel, causing other bottles to fall and hit the ground with a resounding echo. 

“Got to get clean,” he thought in a panic as he began to scrub his arms, legs and chest. Levi scrubbed and scrubbed until his body was raw. The scalding water hurt as it pounded his now sensitive skin. Levi grabbed his hair and sank to his knees. 

“I’m sorry” he cried. “It’s all my fault. I should have let them walk away” he screamed. Levi continued to scream and cry until his throat felt dry and sore. His cries turned to whimpers as the water turned icy cold. 

“I’m sorry, Isabel. I’m sorry, Farlan” he whispered, hoarsely as he turned off the shower and pulled himself to his feet. Getting out of the shower, Levi winced as he picked up a towel to dry himself. His skin was bright red and tender. The fluffy towel felt like sandpaper against his skin. He dressed and went to the kitchen. As he brewed a cup of tea, a loud knocking filled the apartment. 

“The fuck?” swore the chef, as he dumped the teabag in the bin. Levi began to wonder who would come knocking at this hour. “Hange” he groaned. He answered the door to two police officers. 

“Good evening. How can I help you?” he asked. The female officer cleared her throat. 

“Good evening. Is this the residence of Levi Ackerman?” she asked. 

“Yes, I am Levi” he replied. 

“My name is Nanaba and this is my colleague, Gelgar. We were called to investigate a disturbance” she explained. Levi felt confused. He lived in a quiet apartment block. There was rarely a reason to call the police. 

“Come in,” he said, standing back. The two police officers entered the apartment. The three of them walked to the kitchen area. 

“May we ask you some questions?” asked Gelgar. 

“Go ahead” 

“Do you live alone, Mr Ackerman?” asked Nanaba. 

“Yes, I do” 

“And have you had any company this evening?” 

“No. I have been alone since I got home from work”

“What time was that at?” injected Gelgar. Levi glanced at the clock. 

“Holy shit,” he thought to himself. It was nearly eight o’clock. Had he been in the shower for nearly two hours?

“Mr Ackerman?” prompted Nanaba. 

“Oh sorry, around six o’clock” he answered. “May I ask, why all the questions?” 

“Your neighbour called us about a disturbance when they heard screaming coming from your apartment” replied Nanaba. Levi swore internally. He had forgotten that his shower backed onto his neighbour’s apartment. “They tried knocking several times Mr Ackerman, but when they got no response, they became concerned” continued the female officer. 

“They reported the screams last for an hour” added Gelgar. Levi was taken aback. 

“For an hour?” he thought to himself. 

“Mr Ackerman?” 

Levi looked up. Officer Nanaba was looking at him, her eyes were full of concern. 

“Oh, that was me. I was going through a difficult time recently and I was venting” he replied, curtly. 

“I see. Would you mind if we looked around?” asked Nanaba. 

“Go ahead” answered Levi. The two officers began to look around the apartment. Levi sat down on a stool beside the counter and dry scrubbed his face. “Screaming in the shower for an hour? How low have I sank?” he grumbled to himself. Ten minutes later, Nanaba and Gelgar returned. 

“Thank you for your time Mr Ackerman, but we do have one question,” said Nanaba. 

“Yes?” 

“Why do you own so many cleaning products? I counted at least ten bottles of bleach and toilet cleaner” questioned Gelgar. Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Unlike most single men, I take pride in my home and like keeping it clean” he replied.

“Why so much?” 

“Do you know how expensive that stuff is? I buy it in bulk at the wholesalers” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world to do. Gelgar shrugged at his reply. Levi stood up as Nanaba smiled softly at her colleague. 

“We’ll be off now Mr Ackerman. Thank you for your time” said Nanaba. The three of them made their way to the front door. 

“Thank you. Have a nice evening” said Levi, as he opened the door. Gelgar left first. 

“Mr Ackerman are you sure you’re alright?” asked Nanaba. 

“Yes, I’m fine” responded Levi. Nanaba sighed. 

“You know, it’s okay not to be okay,” she said and then left. Levi quietly shut the door. He felt his world cave in on him. He leaned his head against the door and slid down to his knees. A silent sob racked his body. 

“I’m okay. I’m okay” he sobbed quietly over and over to himself. 

XXX


End file.
